Team sets out to recover sperm whale that died after getting caught in the Thames Estuary for three days without being able to escape
- A small team set out to recover the sperm whale on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent
- Sperm whale is changing direction regularly in the Thames estuary, north Kent
- Rescuers have said it appears to be distressed and confused in the shallow water
- Large animal was first spotted off the coast of Whistable, Kent, on Thursday
Rescuers have been sent out to recover the sperm whale that died after getting caught in the Thames estuary for three days without being able to escape today.
A small team on a Forth Linesman boat set out to recover the creature as it lay washed up on the Spitend Marshes on the Isle of Sheppey in Swale, Kent.
Images captured from the opposite side of the Swale estuary showed the large animal, which is usually found in deep water, lying against the shore as the small boat approached it.
The whale was found stranded and dead just before midday on February 1, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue said in an update.
The whale had appeared confused and was changing direction regularly when swimming around mudflats in north Kent.
A small team of rescuers are sent out to recover the sperm whale that died after getting caught in the Thames estuary
Its body will now be secured for examination by the Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme as they try to establish why the ocean-going animal had come into the Thames estuary.
On Saturday the British Divers Marine Life Rescue confirmed the animal had died in a Facebook post which read: ‘Just before midday today we received news via the marine police unit that the whale had been found, unfortunately it had fully stranded and died.
‘The Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme has been informed and they will work with the Port of Medway and HM Coastguard to secure the body for examination.’
Today a spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: ‘At close to 11.40am on Thursday, HM Coastguard received a report that a 15-metre long whale was in shallow water at Whitstable, Kent.
Herne Bay Coastguard Rescue Team and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were sent to the incident. However, the whale had moved into deeper water before the Coastguard Rescue Team arrived on scene.
‘The animal was later found to be in difficulty some distance off-shore but not yet fully stranded. Both Herne Bay Coastguard Rescue Team and BDMLR left the scene because of loss of light and returned on Friday.
‘The whale was eventually confirmed deceased on Saturday 1st February by Kent Police RHIB Seahorse. Kent Police’s Marine Unit also attended. The whale was approximately 50m from the shoreline at this point.
Rescuers were concerned for the sperm whale after it appeared stuck off the Swale, North Kent (pictured)
The whale has been seen swimming around mudflats in the area regularly changing direction
The whale is believed to become beached when the waters drop too low. The level changes by several metres twice a day due to the tide
The whale (pictured off the coast of Harty, Kent) swam into the area on Thursday
‘The Reciever of Wreck and BDMLR were informed and updated on the incident. Peel Ports Medway will arrange disposal of the animal when the tide drops in the coming days. ‘
Sperm whale females and calves live in pods while males are solitary, reports National Geographic.
They dive up to 3,280 feet deep to feed on squids and can hold their breath for 90 minutes.
The animals were a mainstay of the whaling industry during the 18th and 19th centuries before the practice was outlawed. They are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN.
The sperm whale (file image) is the latest in a number of large sea creatures which have made it into the Thames Estuary in the last 18 months
Benny the Beluga got stranded in the Thames in October 2018. Above an RNLI crew is pictured speeding to keep watch over him between Gravesend and Tilbury
Hessy the humpback made headlines across the world after swimming up the River Thames as far as Gravesend, Kent, in October last year.
The female whale, which died within days, was found to have a large headwound caused by a ship strike.
Benny the beluga whale was spotted off the coast of Gravesend, Kent, in September 2018.
He stayed in the water for months before disappearing.
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