2 dolphins found dead in River Thames after struggling against tide
Two dolphins were found dead along the River Thames banks in London. This follows sightings of a common dolphin struggling against the tide last week.
The first dolphin was seen in distress from late Thursday morning and seemed to be battling with the strong currents. By Monday, a deceased dolphin was found on the riverbank near Chelsea Harbour Pier. Another lifeless dolphin was discovered at Greenwich, reported BBC News.
A Port of London Authority spokesperson told the PA news agency: "We are aware of reports of two dolphins that sadly died. We are working with the Cetaceans Stranding Investigation Programme and will recover the animals."
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The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), which was tracking the dolphin on Thursday, was contacted for more information.
On Friday, Julia Cable, operations director at the BDMLR, said: "(The dolphin) was still in the area throughout the evening but its behaviour wasn't really changing so we didn't continue monitoring it too late.
"It's too far really for a dolphin to be up the river. It wasn't really moving very far, it did appear to be struggling with the tide."
Mary Tester, Thames area co-ordinator with the BDMLR, told BBC London there were a 'lot of different theories' on why dolphins were 'coming down the river'.
One explanation, she said, was the improved water quality of the Thames over recent years, which had increased the level of fish that dolphins preyed on.
If you spot a dolphin in the Thames or any other inland waterway, the BDMLR is urging you alert them and avoid chasing it in boats or canoes.
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