Lost whale Hessy dies in Thames
A whale which found itself far from home in the River Thames has died.
Dubbed Hessy the Humpback, the 27ft mammal surfaced earlier this week between Crayford Ness and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, Dartford.
The rare species was seen in the river just after midnight on Monday.
PC Dempster, a member of the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit, spotted the whale, which in adult form can weigh up to 30 metric tons, during an overnight patrol.
He said: “It was spectacular. I was gobsmacked it was so big.” But on Tuesday, Mark Stevens, director of British Divers’ Marine Life Rescue, confirmed the whale had died.
He said he received a call from a member of his team at 4.30pm and had seen a photo of the lifeless creature floating near Greenhithe.
It was expected to be recovered yesterday (Wednesday) by the Port of London Authority as it could be a hazard to shipping. At 27ft, the whale was estimated by Mr Stevens to be a juvenile, hundreds of miles from its natural habitat.
He added: “I imagine it died of natural causes due to lack of food.” David Callahan, who spotted the creature near Rainham in Essex on Monday, said: “It was remarkably undisturbed by container ships going up and down, it just kept on diving.” British Divers’ Marine Life Rescue had been monitoring the humpback’s movements.
From September last year, hundreds gathered to spot Benny the Beluga whale, who was seen along the coast off Gravesend over several months.