RIVER authorities and wildlife organisations are on the alert after a pod of whales, believed to be Pilot whales, were spotted in the Thames close to Coalhouse Fort at East Tilbury and Tilbury this afternoon (Thursday, 17 September).

The pod may include as many as 20 adults and some calves are also reported to be with them.

They appear to have come upstream on a high tide and some reports suggest they have gone as far as Purfleet.

There are some fears the whales may be disorientated and are at risk of stranding. A team from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue service is on alert and could be deployed on the river if required.

It is extremely rare to see large pods of whales making their way inland.

Benny the Beluga.

However, individual or pairs of whales are seen on the Thames infrequently, perhaps most famously in September 2018, when a solitary Beluga whale - nicknamed "Benny" by the public - was spotted near Tilbury.

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An earlier sighting occurred in January 2006, when a solo juvenile female northern Bottlenose whale swam all the way into central London.

The 18-foot whale swam past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, drawing crowds of thousands to the riverbanks and an estimated 50 million viewers on live TV.

A massive rescue operation using a barge and pontoons was launched by the BDLMR but sadly, the whale suffered from extreme dehydration and muscle damage and died during the rescue attempt.

'Benny', on the other hand managed to find his own way back to the North Sea and survived.

In 2014 a pod of Pilot whales swam up the Blackwater River in Mid Essex, attracting huge attention before eventually being ushered back to the open sea with the assistance of the BDLMR, though one 2.18-meter-long female calf became separated, live-stranded near Goldhanger, and subsequently died on the beach.

Updates to follow.