Whale swims through London

2006-01-20 15:03

Britons have been stunned to see this northern bottle nosed whale in the River Thames near Battersea Bridge in London. (Sang Tan, AP)

London - A whale was spotted in the river Thames in London on Friday swimming past the parliament of Westminster and Big Ben, eyewitnesses said.

Boaters and sightseers reported seeing the mammal, believed to be a pilot whale - which can grow up to 6m long.

Tom Howard-Vyne, head of communications at the British Airways-operated London Eye ferrieswheel on the bank of the river, said: "I saw it blow, it was a spout of water which sparkled in the air.

"It was on this side of Westminster Bridge and 10 minutes ago it was near the House of Commons. It was an amazing sight," he added.

It was believed the whale was being tracked by a lifeboat to make sure it would not get disturbed by the shipping in the river.

The sighting was described as "extraordinary" by experts, who believed that, like a number of dolphins previously, the whale had "got lost." - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA