Residents of St Margarets and Richmond flocked to Richmond Lock yesterday evening, on the 9th of May, as they tried to catch a glimpse of a Minke Whale that had become stuck near the Lock.
The Whale, who has since been sighted elsewhere on the Thames, including near Teddington lock, was hosed down at Richmond Lock and Weir yesterday evening, before it was towed to water of a more suitable depth for an animal of its size, an impressive four metres. Fiona Oliver, a resident of St Margarets, said that ‘I was really quite concerned for the whale, it’s clearly quite lost and it definitely isn’t safe for an animal of it’s size to be swimming around in the Thames. I hope the poor creature is alright, and if he is I very much hope that they can return him to his natural habitat soon. Believe it or not it isn’t often we see whales in Richmond!’. The whale’s remarkable journey leads some to believe that this is the furthest ever upstream sighting of a Whale in the Thames. Since yesterday evening, some reports are suggesting that the whale has become trapped for a second time, but the necessary authorities continue to asses its injuries.
