LONDON – When someone mentions London's River Thames and wildlife in the same sentence, you could be forgiven for thinking they're about to say something grim about pollution levels.
But new data from the the Zoological Society of London has shown that the Thames is actually something of a hotspot when it comes to unexpected marine life; in the last 10 years more than 2,700 dolphins, whales, seals and porpoises have been sighted in the Thames Estuary.
“People are often surprised to hear that marine mammals are regularly spotted in Central London," said European Conservation Projects Manager at the Zoological Society of London, Joanna Barker. "As a top predator, their presence is a good sign that the Thames is getting cleaner and supporting many fish species. The presence of these animals is also a great example of how urban environments are important for wildlife.”
People often post sightings of seals and porpoises on social media.
Still can't believe I saw a seal today, swimming in the Thames at Canary Wharf pic.twitter.com/vkoSNm1BDu— Jack Jones (@Jack_Jones_21) March 20, 2015
The #Teddington seal is still with us - here s/he is this morning at the #Lock @andybutts @Teddington_Town pic.twitter.com/tI9x7szMFR— Emma Durnford (@EmmaDPhotos) January 18, 2015
@EmmaDPhotos @Teddington_Town seal checking out the lock keepers and vice versa pic.twitter.com/jMIa2ub6CH— Andy Butterfield (@andybutts) January 18, 2015
What an amazing morning @Teddington_Town with the #Teddington #seal @rnli_teddington we need to be careful upstream pic.twitter.com/MifgGaP5xs— Andy Butterfield (@andybutts) January 18, 2015
Porpoise in the Thames near Millennium Bridge this morning pic.twitter.com/qN54AFS6F4 via @MPSonthewater— London SE1 (@se1) December 6, 2013
The greatest number of sightings submitted in the last 10 years was in 2013, when a total of 239 mammals were spotted. Harbour seals are the animal most frequently seen.
“We were pleased to see that harbour seals were some of the most commonly spotted mammals," said Barker. "Their numbers have dramatically declined in some parts of Scotland, so the fact that they are frequently sighted in the Thames Estuary confirms that the South East is an important area for their conservation."