(NPR reports)
that a 20-foot-long whale is swimming around the Thames near Parliament - this after going upstream and 'beaching' itself near the Chelsea Bridge - helped out by veternarians the whale is still hanging out around Parliament - vets think it may need help to get back out to the North Sea - theory is that it was chasing fish in Thames Estatuary and got lost - first whale sighted from when records started being keep in early 50s. Whale has been nicknamed Big Ben!

I just heard a teaser on this story, coming up on the 5.p.m. news.

British tabloids will no doubt have fun with puns about the whale and Parliament!

We had a school of dolphins come up a couple of summers ago. And there's a seal that seems to have made her home somewhere around the docks in Canary Wharf.

It's dead exciting- it's a northern bottle nose whale- but it's also completely tragic. I think it's going to die.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4633878.stm

Perhaps it has a bit of an identity crisis and thinks it is a Salmon.

;-)

A woman observing the whale from the banks of the Thames observed that it is probably male; otherwise, it would have asked for directions.

LOL, Tulips!

Sometimes Man is a power for good

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4633878.stm

Watching it on Today show. The tide is out so they can get to it. Trying to get a sling under it and will try to helicopter it out of river. If he is really trying to beach himself and die (and not just lost) wonder how successful that will be. Poor thing, in any case.

I saw it earlier this morning in real life. It looks quite distressed. It doesn't look like it's going to make it.

It is extremely odd seeing a whale in the thames.

David, it is wonderful you got to see it, I am so worried about it. Tulip: That is just hilarious!!!! And all too true!

I'll be in London in April, should I add whale watching to my list of things to do? Tulips, LOL!!

I sure hope that whale survives.

I have a BBC news ticker along the bottom of my screen and yesterday appeared the most marvellous headline:

"Whale lost in Central London"

I just had such marvellous images in my head! I mean, had nobody ever told it to stop and ask a policeman for directions?!

I'm sure it'll be OK, they've got it and are treating it now.

I hope it'll be OK. But they're still saying they may have to euthenise it. How on earth do you put down a whale?

Err..Sheila..I do believe there are certain nations who manage to do just that...

It wasn't necessary. The whale just died

How very sad, but what a great effort on the part of those who tried to help.

How awful!!! And I guess that kidnapped penquin is dead too!
God help all cratures great and small.

Maybe it wanted to have its final hours in the Thames? It wanted to be a big fish in a little pond?

Poor thing, must have been disoriented, maybe sick in the first place to wind up there...

Too sad! Hope they do an autopsy and try to figure out what was going on.