Allotments 4 All

General => The Shed => Topic started by: Bun on January 20, 2006, 14:03:48

Title: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Bun on January 20, 2006, 14:03:48
How cool is this!

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1209846,00.html
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Svea on January 20, 2006, 14:35:10
yes, i have just been out on the river to see what is to see. he obviously wanted to do a spot of sightseeing - can't blame him. london looks great from the river :)

saw a wag of the tail and a bit of blow-spritz - but didnt have my paparrazzi-tele-lens with me so it was quite small and some way away :)
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Bun on January 20, 2006, 14:53:45
I thought it was cool at first, but now I'm worried he'll never make it out.   :-[
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Dan 2 on January 20, 2006, 15:57:19
Lets hope its alright... The muddy, dirty water of the Thames can't do much for it, I wonder why it swam in??  ???
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Plocket on January 20, 2006, 16:05:58
Can't have been after the vast quantity of fish that live in the Thames!!!!  ;)
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Dan 2 on January 20, 2006, 16:12:43
The nice fresh Salmon which Scottish breeders come form far and wide to eat!
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: bupster on January 20, 2006, 16:16:26
Watching the whale - now nicknamed Gonzo

http://www.lewiswhalewatch.blogspot.com/

Just in case this board wasn't distracting enough for you :D
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Plocket on January 20, 2006, 16:20:16
You wouldn't catch me eating anything that came out of the Thames - not by choice anyway! I've sailed up from the sea to St. Catherine's Dock and that water is DIRTY!
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Dan 2 on January 20, 2006, 16:45:30
Its DISGUSTING!
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Plocket on January 20, 2006, 16:49:20
BUM! Can't send PMs. Grrrrrrr!
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Twinkle on January 20, 2006, 17:17:44
I have everything crossed that the poor critter will get out alive !  last I heard on the radio the in situ vets were talking about killing it to save it any further suffering  :'(

Makes you wonder what in the 'eck has gone on for it to get there in the first place  ??? remember a few years ago when a couple of dolphins ended up there.

I wouldn't eat anything caught in the Thames either .... a few years ago we caught a pike (or should I say it caught us - don't ask) and we decided to cook it ... it tasted of diesel .. urgh !

Lets hope there's a happy outcome.

H
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Dan 2 on January 20, 2006, 17:31:57
Yuk!  ;D
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Plocket on January 20, 2006, 17:35:11
Blimey you wouldn't catch me eating pike at the best of times but knowing it came out of the Thames? No thanks!!!!!
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Twinkle on January 20, 2006, 19:51:10
according to them in the know ... Pike supposedly tastes like cod  ??? (no taste lol !)  not the one that hooked us though  :P
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Yellow Petals on January 20, 2006, 19:59:11
Last I heard they were going to try and encourage it back out before using a "hands on invasive" approach.  Let's hope they do whatever it takes to get that little fella back out where he belongs :(
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: busy_lizzie on January 20, 2006, 22:48:20
I felt so sorry for it when I saw it on the news as there was some thought that it was ill in some way.  It is obviously a great novelty to see something like that on the Thames, - there is something very magical about whales, but they were saying the chances of it surviving were quite bleak. I hope they can manage to get it out further to sea and it can be saved.   :( busy_lizzie
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Trixiebelle on January 21, 2006, 15:06:22
Poor thing  :(

Apparently it would only be this far 'off course' if it was ill or injured - and experts have said it's got visible head injuries and 'spasms' in its tail which indicate ill-health.

Wonder how it got the head injuries?

I do wish us 'humans' would realise the devastating effect we have on the animals we share this world with. A pike tasting of diesel sums it up for me  :(
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Svea on January 21, 2006, 17:44:21
yes, but on the other hand - in the interaction of species with species, the whale chose to swim up the thames, and if it dies in the process, then would it really be beneficial to give it CPR???

dont get me wrong, i hope it's gonna be ok, but if not? then it dies. circle of life
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: kenkew on January 21, 2006, 17:57:53
If the Thames had have been a river without man-made structures and interference across, on and along it's banks, I would agree.
But it ain't, is it?
There is a duty for 'man' to interfere in the best possible way to return this creature back from where it came.
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Trixiebelle on January 21, 2006, 18:28:23
A broader perspective

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/image_big_teaser/international/photosvideos/photos/minke-whale-is-dragged-up-ramp.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/save-our-seas-2/save-the-whales&h=271&w=180&sz=24&tbnid=PFu8l4iX9-H8uM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=71&hl=en&start=20&prev=/images%3Fq%3DWhales%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Jill on January 21, 2006, 19:48:32
So sad that it has now died. :'(
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Paulines7 on January 21, 2006, 21:07:21
Yes, and to think they still hunt for them in Japan  :'(   :'(   :'(
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: Bun on January 21, 2006, 21:20:27
:'(  :'(  :'(
Title: Re: A Whale in the Thames!
Post by: katynewbie on January 21, 2006, 21:28:45
:'( :'(

R.I.P Gonzo