Baby Harbour Porpoise Found Dead on Thames Foreshore
Reduced activity on the river may be increasing marine life diversity
Baby harbour porpoise. Picture: Millie Currie
The body of a young harbour porpoise was found this week by local residents walking on the Thames foreshore near Chiswick.
It had washed up near Barnes Railway Bridge on the south side of the river.
The animal, which was around 1.3m in length, was originally thought to be a dolphin but the Zoological Society of London confirmed to ChiswickW4.com that it was a harbour porpoise.
Increased animal diversity has been observed on the Thames since the coronavirus lockdown and it is thought possible that the fall in activity on the river could be encouraging more marine life to venture further up.
Julia Cable of the The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said, "Over the past few weeks we have had a couple of reports of cetaceans in the Thames, at the moment we don’t consider this to be anything unusual as harbour porpoise are often seen in the river. It is likely that with less traffic in the river the animals may venture further than they usually would, also with less disturbance on the water they will be easier to spot."
The BDMLR urge people not to disturb or harass any such creature which they observe on the Thames. There is a danger that the animal may be frightened further up the river, or in the worst case, to actually strand.
A seal in the river near Kew Bridge recently. Picture: Steve Butler
Also interacting with them runs the risk of zoonotic disease transfer, which is the passing of contagious diseases between humans and dolphins. There are known cases in the UK where people have been infected by dolphins with pneumonia and meningoencephalitis, and disease transmission can work both ways.
Sightings can be reported online at ZSL’s Thames Marine Mammal Survey Site.
Dolphin in the Thames near Kew Bridge in 2017. Picture: Chiswick RNLI
Anyone who is concerned for the welfare of an animal should contact the RSPCA's 24-hour emergency hotline on 0300 1234 999 for help or advice. They should also be contact if you see a dead animal.
Those with concerns regarding a specific marine animal can contact British Divers Marine Life Rescue directly on 01825 765546 or 07787 433412 (out of hours)."
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April 19, 2020