Pilot whales spotted in rare River Thames sighting

A pod of approximately 25 pilot whales was spotted in the River Thames near Coalhouse Fort in Tilbury. While pilot whales are technically large members of the oceanic dolphin family, their presence in large groups so far upstream is considered an extremely rare event for the area.

The Port of London Authority was notified of the sighting, and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue service was placed on alert to assist the animals should they become disoriented or at risk of stranding. By the evening of the sighting, the pod appeared to be heading back out to sea.

While individual marine mammals like dolphins or porpoises are occasionally seen in the Thames Estuary, large group sightings are uncommon. Previous notable incidents include a northern bottlenose whale in 2006, a humpback whale in 2019, and a beluga whale in 2018.