Marine mammals such as seals and porpoises are regularly being spotted in the River Thames, according to a new Zoological Society of London (ZSL) study based on nearly 2,800 reported public sightings over the past 10 years.
According to AFP and BBC News reports, the 2,732 total animal sightings over the last decade include 1,080 harbor seals, 333 grey seals, 823 unidentified seals, 49 whales, 444 porpoises and dolphins, and three otters spotted in both the Thames Estuary and further upstream.
The majority of the seals were found around London’s Canary Wharf, possibly because they are visible to people working in skyscrapers in the region. Seals were also spotted as far upstream as Teddington and Hampton Court Palace in southwest London, while dolphins and porpoises were spotted at Teddington Lock, as well as near Kew Gardens and Deptford.
“People are often surprised to hear that marine mammals are regularly spotted in central London,” ZSL’s European conservation projects manager, Joanna Barker, told AFP. “As a top predator, their presence is a good sign that the Thames is getting cleaner and supporting many fish species… [and] a great example of how urban environments are important for wildlife.”
Public can help out the ZSL by reporting sightings online
It was only 50 years ago that the Thames was so polluted that it was deemed to be too dirty for any biological life to survive there, according to BBC News. However, the new round of public sightings confirms that the river is again becoming clean and habitable, and animals are now willing to travel further into the British capital’s waterways.
“Many people looking into the Thames see a murky, dirty environment,” Barker explained. “But, actually, beneath the waves, it is full of life. We have a huge range of fish and invertebrates, and also top predators… The fact we get so many sightings in central London suggests the fish stocks are moving in to support these marine predators.”
The ZSL is asking the public to submit marine mammal sightings through their website, and the organization has also been conducting seal population surveys along the Thames Estuary. Over the past three years, they have used boats and planes to keep count of how many seals are living along the river. Barker said that this region was “really important.”
“It’s quite sheltered compared with the North Sea, and there is a whole different range of environments and habitats for the marine mammals to use,” she told BBC News. “So we think that London and the Thames Estuary is an important environment for these species, and we are keen to get more sightings year on year, and to build up a better picture of the places that marine mammals are using.”
(Image credit: ZSL)
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