Stray dolphin in the Thames: BDMLR urges public to keep distance

Dolphins appear not only in the Baltic Sea. The charity organisation British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) has appealed for people to stay away from a dolphin that has strayed into the Thames in London.

The charity made this appeal because the presence of people might cause the animal to become even more disoriented. The dolphin was seen several times on Thursday, 1 August, swimming along the Thames between Putney Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge in west London.

According to BDMLR, an organisation specialising in rescuing marine creatures, the dolphin appeared to be swimming with the river’s current, but its fate has been unknown since Thursday evening. The organisation is asking people to inform them if anyone sees the animal again, but it warns against attempting to approach it.

Mary Tester, responsible for the Thames area at BDMLR, explained that while dolphins' appearance near the mouth of the river into the North Sea is normal, their migration so far up the river to London is problematic and poses a threat to these animals.

At the same time, Mary Tester noted that this is the fourth case of a dolphin in London this year. She presented various theories explaining why dolphins are starting to swim up the river.

This could be due to the construction of offshore wind farms, which force marine mammals to move, or the improvement in the water quality of the Thames in recent years, which attracts more fish and other marine animals that serve as food for dolphins.