Thurrock Council thanks rescuers after pilot whale pod guided safely out of the Thames
Nearly a whole pod of pilot whales has been safely guided out of the Thames near Tilbury
A pod of around 25 long-finned pilot whales was spotted in the Thames Estuary near Tilbury last weekend. Nearly the whole pod has been rescued, with only two of the whales dying after becoming stranded on the shore.
Thurrock Council says it wants to thank the British Divers Marine Life Rescue volunteers and the Port of London Authority, whose combined efforts meant that nearly all of the whales that swam into the Thames made it safely back out to sea.
Councillor Bailey Scott, who represents the Tilbury St Chads ward, said the sight of so many pilot whales in the Thames near Tilbury had been extraordinary, but also deeply worrying for people living nearby.
“These beautiful creatures found themselves in a very precarious situation where they were at terrible risk of being hurt or killed.
“Thankfully, the incredible skill and dedication of British Divers Marine Life Rescue and the Port of London Authority meant that nearly the entire pod was herded back out to sea.
“Although it is terribly sad that two of the whales lost their lives, were it not for the efforts of these organisations, it is highly likely that many more whales, possibly even the entire pod, could have perished on our shores.
“On behalf of the local community, I would like to thank these organisations and recognise the tremendous work they did over the weekend to save these pilot whales.”
Councillor Richard Bingley, Leader of Thurrock Council, echoed those comments. He said: “The dedication of these two organisations, who spent many long hours over the weekend safely shepherding these magnificent animals over 20 miles out of the danger of the narrow estuary and into the safety of the open sea, was remarkable.
“As wondrous as the sight of a pod of whales might be, the truly inspiring thing about this is the skill and dedication of all who helped to save them.”"