Home / Environment / Rare Dolphin Stranding Shocks London's River Thames
Rare Dolphin Stranding Shocks London's River Thames
3 Jul
Summary
- An adult male common dolphin washed ashore on the Thames foreshore.
- The dolphin's presence was unusually far west in the River Thames.
- Climate change is a potential factor in rising dolphin stranding reports.
A rare event unfolded on the banks of the Thames in Southwest London when an adult male short-beaked common dolphin was found deceased. The mammal washed ashore at Mortlake in Richmond on Thursday, following public sightings of a dolphin navigating the river between Hammersmith Bridge and Putney Bridge in the preceding days.
Authorities from the Port of London Authority (PLA) confirmed the species and expressed concern, noting that dolphins sighted this far up the Thames are often already in distress. The British Divers Marine Life Rescue is collaborating with the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) to determine the cause of this unusual stranding.
Rob Deaville, CSIP project manager, highlighted the dolphin's journey westward up the Thames as exceptionally uncommon for its species. He indicated that such strandings have been infrequently reported in the southern North Sea over the last 35 years. Investigators are considering a post-mortem examination, though the dolphin showed signs of skin damage from prolonged freshwater exposure.
