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Bottlenose Whale Rescue


Bottlenose Whale Rescue
Photo Information
Copyright: Dan Bachmann (danbachmann) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 75 W: 19 N: 142] (449)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-01-21
Categories: Mammals, River, Ocean
Camera: Pentax *ist D, Pentax F 100-300
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-01-21 17:18
Viewed: 2006
Points: 12
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Living in the center of one of the world's largest city it is rare that I can share an image of a wild animal with you. Even more rare that I'd have a chance of an animal from the depths of the sea, so today, I share with you a great surprise... a whale that swam up the Thames River past all the sight seeing locations and all the way up just a block away from where I work.

This poor fellow was a lost Hyperoodon ampullatus (BOTTLENOSE WHALE), about 18 feet long, so not yet an adult (adult length: 7-10m / 23-33ft).

So many people came out to watch (look in the background of this photo) and we all hoped he'd make it back home. Unfortunately, the whale died while being transported on this boat back out to sea. It was a good effort on part of the humans though.

No one is really sure why the whale got lost, but there is some belief that explosions at sea (military testing?) had an impact on the whale's sonar. A porpoise was also found in the river today - at first thought to be a baby whale.

Some more details about Bottlenose whales:
Weight: 5.8-7.5 tonnes
Diet: Squid, fish
Habitat: Deep offshore waters
Range: Arctic and North Atlantic
Status: Conservation dependent, protected since 1977
Distinctive feature: Bulbous forehead
Luc, AdrianW, Dave, Janice, Demetrio, Robbrown, sAner, marod has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Dave Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 525 W: 47 N: 674] (2173)
  • [2006-01-21 23:05]

Amazing Dan! I saw a news picture of this thing swimming up the Thames. We have our faults as humans, but helping this whale get back to where it can be safe is not one of them...
I appreciate you sharing this pic!
Thanks,
Dave
Ps I finished reading your note. Very sad! But, still a worthwhile effort... Too bad it was not successful.
an internet link to the story...:-(

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3316 W: 149 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2006-01-22 1:04]

Hi Dan, I had just watched the news on our TV and saw that the whale had died.
It was good to see the trouble that humans were going through to get the youngster back out to sea though. You certainly got a good view of it all. very good news pic!
Thank you for sharing this with us,
Janice

Hi Dan nice capture of a rare moment, in London. I have moved over to Sweden and always keep an eye on BBC news over there. I was amazed to hear that a Whale had passed where I used to live by the Thames in Purfleet. Shame I missed it for real.

Also ashame the poor Whale died..... Very good note.

Thanks for sharing.

Demetrio

I am Glad somebody managed to post this image here to remind us of the fragility of life, I had hoped that at least one of our members would capture an image of this most unusual happening.
A good clear shot, showing man at his best trying to help others , just a shame about the out come, but I had a feeling when it first showed up this would be the end , it waqs so out of place that I think we will find out from the autopsy that some thing was seriously wrong with it for to be here at all. TFS Yours Robert

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
  • [2006-01-23 2:04]

It so sad to hear that the whale has died ... Whales are majestic animals and I will never forget the encounters I had. I saw spermwhales in NZ, a humpbackwhale & killer whales in Canada and I was so impressed by them. Thanks for your journalistic photo.

Regards,
Pieter

  • Great 
  • marod (26)
  • [2006-01-26 6:01]

Itīs trully sad what hapened with this beautiful animal. I have also read on the other day that all the noise we make in the oceans (boats, sonars, etc) have a negative impact on many aquactic species. Maybe this was on of such cases...
Great photo

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