Video captures pod of dolphins swimming in the Thames at Canary Wharf
A pod of dolphins has been spotted on numerous occasions in the River Thames in London this week.
Surprised Londoners have captured video of them swimming in the river near Canary Wharf in east London.
They were also spotted by the Thames Barrier, and in the river at Greenwich on Monday.
And the pod of dolphins 🐬🐬are back today in River Thames, spotted second day in a row.
A view from our flat near Canary Wharf today. pic.twitter.com/vrr0vov5Nl— Rupanjana | রূপাঞ্জনা (@RupanjanaDutta) February 21, 2024
@LBCNews Pictures of dolphins spotted in the Thames near Greenwich today!! pic.twitter.com/L9jf9GWNsG
— Chris Knight-Maunder (@chriskm70) February 19, 2024
One clip captured from inside a boat on Tuesday clearly shows one of the creatures breaching the water.
There are understood to be as many as eight dolphins in the pod.
On Wednesday, a resident named Rupanjana posted video on X captured from their flat near Canary Wharf, that clearly showed the pod jumping out of the water.
@metpoliceuk this was seen this morning on the river thames? can you confirm or deny if this a whale or a dolphin please 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/6kEOKMH73Y
— jon paddy rourke (@jprourke) February 20, 2024
The clip showed at least two dolphins breaching the river’s surface at the same moment - one smaller than the other.
Another man reported seeing “around six to eight” dolphins as he returned home from the gym at Canary Wharf the same day.
It's not everyday in #EastLondon that you get to see #Dolphins swimming in the #Thames! pic.twitter.com/Xi8r6en5y0
— Niels (@hi_niels) February 22, 2024
“I only managed to capture three or four on video, but off camera I saw around six to eight, all clumped together as a pod making their way along the Thames towards Tower Bridge,” he told Metro.
The RSPCA urged people to “behave considerately” around the animals.
“We are aware of these dolphins and really appreciate that people want to make sure they're safe,” said a spokesperson.
“We are ready to provide appropriate assistance if requested.
“It is not unusual for dolphins to find their way into harbours or rivers such as the Thames and they have been known to travel inland quite some distance. They are usually just looking for more food and generally they find their way out to sea again.
Spotted 2 or 3 dolphins near the Thames barrier today #dophins #riverthames #thamesbarrier pic.twitter.com/5ngvP5Raz9
— Rob (@Bikeactivebob) February 19, 2024
“We ask the public to do their bit and behave considerately to the dolphins. It’s important that disturbance is kept to a minimum, to maximise the chances of them returning to the open sea under their own steam.”A spokesperson for British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) added: “We have been aware of the dolphin sightings in the Thames and while it's not an everyday occurrence, dolphins and porpoises do venture up the estuary usually following food and can make it as far as Canary Wharf which is where they were seen this week.
“On both occasions this week the dolphins have left the river on the falling tide which is to be expected.
“There have been some recent sightings of a pod of dolphins in the River Medway, so it's likely that these are the same animals.
“The main risk for dolphins in the Thames is river traffic, the large vessels shouldn't pose too much of a risk for them, but smaller boats can be a problem.”
Dolphins are a rare sight in the Thames. In 2017 a cetacean - thought to be a porpoise, but which was nicknamed the ‘Thames dolphin’ - made headlines when it swam more than 40 miles inland to west London.
Locals keenly followed its journey, but it tragically dying nine days after it was first spotted, after getting into difficulty and becoming beached in Wandsworth.
Canary Wharf is the most likely location to spot large incongruous marine life, probably because of its high vantage points, the Zoological Society of London has previously said (ZSL).
The conservation charity said seals have previously been seen as far upstream as Hampton Court, with dolphins and porpoises sighted at Teddington Lock in south-west London.