Lots in the news here about the UK- Blair's son kidnap plot, the pengiun story( never solved???) and this:
LONDON, England -- Fears were growing among marine experts after what is believed to be a Northern Bottle-nosed Whale was spotted swimming in the River Thames in the heart of London.
One whale rescuer, Tony Martin, said such whales were normally only found in very deep water and would require a specialist rescue operation.
"This is a unique experience. Northern Bottle-nosed Whales are normally only found in very deep water so the fact it's here probably means it's ill. This is going to take a number of boats and organization to coax it back into deeper water," Martin told Sky News.
"This is not going to be an easy job."
Another whales expert from the Natural History Museum, Richard Sabin, told the Press Association it was the first sighting of the species in the Thames since records began in 1913, he said.
Police boats tracked the whale, which is between 5 and 8 meters (15 to 24 feet) in length, as it cautiously circled, moving gradually upstream, and television news helicopters hovered above.
Three men waded into the river when the whale beached near the landmark Battersea Power Station. They splashed the water to make it swim away and punched the air in celebration as it moved off. Blood appeared to be coming from its body.
Peter Evans of the Sea Watch foundation said the creature was either sick, had become disorientated or had simply got lost chasing fish.
"Sighting of things like Porpoises in the estuary have become more frequent in the past five years -- indicating that fish have become more abundant which in turn shows how much cleaner the river is than it used to be," he told Reuters.
A police spokeswoman said officers were called to Jubilee Bridge in central London at about 9 a.m. "The whale is not thought to be in good condition and may be injured," she PA.
The force's Thames Unit, based at Wapping, is working with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to ensure boats can move up and down the river.
Members of Whale Watch were allowed onboard a police boat in a bid to assess the condition of the animal.
Eyewitness Tom Howard-Vyne, head of communications at the BA London Eye, on the opposite bank of the river to Westminster, described the animal.
"I saw it blow, it was a spout of water which sparkled in the air," he told PA.
"It was on this side of Westminster Bridge and 10 minutes ago it was near the House of Commons.
"I think it's being looked after by a lifeboat to make sure it doesn't get disturbed by the shipping in the river. It was an amazing sight."
Dolphins sighted
The Thames has received many unexpected visitors over the years -- including dolphins, seals and porpoises.
Sperm whales -- which grow to 14 meters -- have been spotted in the Thames Estuary and 10 years ago a minke whale died after becoming stranded on the shore of the Thames at Purfleet, Essex.
A family of harbor porpoises were once spotted feasting on fish off Vauxhall Bridge in the center of the capital, while common seals have been regular visitors to the waters around Canary Wharf, the Thames Barrier and near Tower Bridge.
Dolphins have been reported enjoying the waters near Southend in Essex, just inside the mouth of the river.
A survey by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) last year received 103 sightings by the public, of a total of 197 animals, in the river, mostly near the estuary. That included more than 100 seals, 62 porpoises and 18 dolphins.
