Dolphin tragedy in the Thames: Marine rescue efforts fall short
The story of the dolphin, sighted multiple times in the Thames in London since Thursday, captured the media's attention for several days. This marine mammal entered the Thames for unknown reasons and most likely got lost. Unfortunately, this story does not have a happy ending.
The dolphin was first observed on Thursday, swimming in the Thames between Putney and Hammersmith bridges in the western part of London. However, it then disappeared.
On Saturday, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), a charity organisation dedicated to rescuing marine animals, appealed to the public to inform them if they spotted the dolphin. They also urged people to keep their distance from the dolphin and not try to approach it, as it could further disorientate it.
On Monday morning, the body of a dead dolphin was found on the shore near Chelsea Harbour Pier, a pier on the Thames in the western part of London. On Monday afternoon, the newspaper "Evening Standard" reported that another dead dolphin, which had not been previously noticed, was found in Greenwich in the eastern part of London.
This marks the fourth and fifth dolphin sightings in London this year. Mary Tester, who oversees the Thames for BDMLR, explained on Saturday that while dolphins' presence in the estuary area of the North Sea is normal, their appearance as far upriver as London is unusual and dangerous for them.
Tester stated that there are various theories regarding why dolphins start swimming upstream—it could be related to the construction of offshore wind farms, which force marine mammals to move, or it could be due to the improved water quality in the Thames in recent years, resulting in a more significant number of fish and other marine animals that provide food for dolphins. However, no one has yet determined why these marine mammals appear so far from the sea.
