"I saw it blow..." Whale spotted near Westminster Bridge
January 20, 2006 4:22 AM Subscribe
"I saw it blow..." Whale spotted near Westminster Bridge
Nah it's just *tabloidcelebrity* bathing /snark
What the hell is a whale doing there?
posted by elpapacito at 4:31 AM on January 20, 2006
What the hell is a whale doing there?
posted by elpapacito at 4:31 AM on January 20, 2006
Hanging around the London Aquarium, I notice.
When's visiting hours, then?
posted by scaryduck at 5:06 AM on January 20, 2006
When's visiting hours, then?
posted by scaryduck at 5:06 AM on January 20, 2006
Wow I laughed before 9 AM. That's some beautiful photoshop work. I would like to request "what a whale might look like with Savion Glover perched upon his nose" please.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 5:08 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 5:08 AM on January 20, 2006
And wow, instead they remove it and post a real photo. I can't even have a dream whale.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 5:10 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 5:10 AM on January 20, 2006
Damn, I wish I'd saved the original "artist's rendering" now.
posted by Acey at 5:15 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by Acey at 5:15 AM on January 20, 2006
Continuous live footage on Sky News in the UK. The whale beached at Battersea Power Station (which you know from the cover of Pink Floyd's 'Animals'). It's off the bank now but it did appear to injure itself. Upsetting to watch.
posted by MinPin at 5:32 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by MinPin at 5:32 AM on January 20, 2006
BBC Online has a live streaming video (popup link in story here)
posted by LondonYank at 5:45 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by LondonYank at 5:45 AM on January 20, 2006
I have just spent my lunch hour watching this from the riverbank - the poor animal must be quite distressed, it has come very close to the edge of the river. Very surreal, if upsetting, to watch. I hope it finds its way out again.
posted by greycap at 5:46 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by greycap at 5:46 AM on January 20, 2006
It's an ambassador.
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 5:50 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 5:50 AM on January 20, 2006
it's trying to get to Cardiff
Me, I would have taken the M4, but then I'm not a whale.
posted by CynicalKnight at 5:56 AM on January 20, 2006
Me, I would have taken the M4, but then I'm not a whale.
posted by CynicalKnight at 5:56 AM on January 20, 2006
I briefly thought how cool would it be if it made it all the way up to Windsor (where I work) but then realised that would probably entail some pretty clever work on the whale's part working the locks.
posted by LondonYank at 6:01 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by LondonYank at 6:01 AM on January 20, 2006
What a waste. They'll just boil it and ruin the flavor.
posted by bondcliff at 6:39 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by bondcliff at 6:39 AM on January 20, 2006
It's come for the stupid bastard who stole the penguin.
(And don't ask me how the whale knows the penguin thief's in London. He just knows, alright? So feed the thief to the whale or it's not going away.)
posted by pracowity at 6:41 AM on January 20, 2006
(And don't ask me how the whale knows the penguin thief's in London. He just knows, alright? So feed the thief to the whale or it's not going away.)
posted by pracowity at 6:41 AM on January 20, 2006
Whale seems to be heading out now. Meanwhile another one has been spotted further out the Thames.
posted by movilla at 6:43 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by movilla at 6:43 AM on January 20, 2006
Does it have lasers attached to its head? A razor-sharp fin?
Could be a secret military conspiracy.
posted by mikel at 6:44 AM on January 20, 2006
Could be a secret military conspiracy.
posted by mikel at 6:44 AM on January 20, 2006
It's an invasion!
I never dreamed that it would turn out to be the whales. They've always been our friend.
posted by bwerdmuller at 7:04 AM on January 20, 2006
I never dreamed that it would turn out to be the whales. They've always been our friend.
posted by bwerdmuller at 7:04 AM on January 20, 2006
It's an invasion! RUN!!!
You can run but you can't swim...
posted by penguin pie at 7:05 AM on January 20, 2006
You can run but you can't swim...
posted by penguin pie at 7:05 AM on January 20, 2006
it's trying to get to Cardiff
Is it Zeta-Jones mating season already?
posted by Rothko at 7:12 AM on January 20, 2006
Is it Zeta-Jones mating season already?
posted by Rothko at 7:12 AM on January 20, 2006
So, we had a whale in the Delaware River here in Philadelphia last summer. They wanted to call it the 'Del-a-whale!' Is that rich? It turns out it had a name. It was Helles, and they knew its name because of its flukes. It was very educational.
posted by fixedgear at 7:22 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by fixedgear at 7:22 AM on January 20, 2006
A whale goes up the Delaware, and they already know its name? What a fluke!
posted by mendel at 7:25 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by mendel at 7:25 AM on January 20, 2006
These jokes are floundering.
posted by horsewithnoname at 7:48 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by horsewithnoname at 7:48 AM on January 20, 2006
Ugh. Comedy shouldn't be this crappie.
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:50 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:50 AM on January 20, 2006
Yeah, comedy should have a porpoise.
posted by cloeburner at 7:50 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by cloeburner at 7:50 AM on January 20, 2006
The BBC says it is the first whale sighting in the Thames since 1913!
posted by LarryC at 7:51 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by LarryC at 7:51 AM on January 20, 2006
Narwhal have to delete some of these comments.
/slaps forehead
posted by Jofus at 7:53 AM on January 20, 2006
/slaps forehead
posted by Jofus at 7:53 AM on January 20, 2006
It's you guys' fault the admins have to keep baleen us out.
posted by jenovus at 8:21 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by jenovus at 8:21 AM on January 20, 2006
Anyway, this will teach me to click on a link simply because I saw the words "I saw it blow."
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:22 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:22 AM on January 20, 2006
It's just round the corner from my flat. I don't manage to photograph the whale (though I did see it several times). This is the best picture I took. That's two of the four news helicopters that a circling over Battersea Park, plus a plane approaching Heathrow.
posted by cillit bang at 8:41 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by cillit bang at 8:41 AM on January 20, 2006
maybe he's trying to get to wales ...
(hey, someone was going to say it)
posted by pyramid termite at 8:58 AM on January 20, 2006
(hey, someone was going to say it)
posted by pyramid termite at 8:58 AM on January 20, 2006
What a waste. They'll just boil it and ruin the flavor.
Ha! That was funny.
If it doesn't make it, they should give it to Fergus Henderson.
posted by Cyrano at 9:02 AM on January 20, 2006
Ha! That was funny.
If it doesn't make it, they should give it to Fergus Henderson.
posted by Cyrano at 9:02 AM on January 20, 2006
The two beaching incidents in particular made me blubber.
posted by rootz at 9:37 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by rootz at 9:37 AM on January 20, 2006
dang, I thought I was going to get to see more whale explosion footage... ah, memories.
posted by mowglisambo at 9:40 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by mowglisambo at 9:40 AM on January 20, 2006
George: I got about fifty-feet out and then suddenly the great beast appeared before me. I tell ya he was ten stories high if he was a foot. As if sensing my presence he gave out a big bellow. I said, "Easy big fella!" And then as I watched him struggling I realized something was obstructing his breathing. From where I was standing I could see directly into the eye of the great fish!
Jerry: Mammal.
George: Whatever.
Kramer: Well, what did you do next?
George: Then from out of nowhere a huge title wave lifted, tossed like a quark and I found myself on top of him face to face with the blow-hole. I could barely see from all of the waves crashing down on top of me but I knew something was there so I reached my hand and pulled out the obstruction!
(George pulls out of the inside pocket a golf ball)
(Jerry and George just stare at Kramer)
posted by blue_beetle at 9:41 AM on January 20, 2006
Jerry: Mammal.
George: Whatever.
Kramer: Well, what did you do next?
George: Then from out of nowhere a huge title wave lifted, tossed like a quark and I found myself on top of him face to face with the blow-hole. I could barely see from all of the waves crashing down on top of me but I knew something was there so I reached my hand and pulled out the obstruction!
(George pulls out of the inside pocket a golf ball)
(Jerry and George just stare at Kramer)
posted by blue_beetle at 9:41 AM on January 20, 2006
Some good pictures of the Whale and the crowds on Flickr.
posted by cushie at 10:23 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by cushie at 10:23 AM on January 20, 2006
maybe he's trying to get to wales ...
(hey, someone was going to say it)
*cough*
posted by mr.marx at 10:24 AM on January 20, 2006
(hey, someone was going to say it)
*cough*
posted by mr.marx at 10:24 AM on January 20, 2006
I'm guessing the Thames has become quite a bit cleaner this past decade or so, eh? I'm under the impression that there was a time a whale would have immediately expired upon coming in contact with undiluted Thames water.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:41 AM on January 20, 2006
posted by five fresh fish at 10:41 AM on January 20, 2006
Your guess is right. The Thames might be cleaner now than it has ever been in hundreds of years. Maybe that might be why this whale thought it might be a good place to hang out for a while. Unfortunately its visit coincided with a very low tide.
posted by normy at 1:45 PM on January 20, 2006
posted by normy at 1:45 PM on January 20, 2006
The BBC says it is the first whale sighting in the Thames since 1913!
Correction: First living thing sighted in the Thames since 1913, excluding daily crossing of river snakes, sewer rats and other members of the House of Lords.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 1:55 PM on January 20, 2006
Correction: First living thing sighted in the Thames since 1913, excluding daily crossing of river snakes, sewer rats and other members of the House of Lords.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 1:55 PM on January 20, 2006
Correction to MRK: Salmon, seals, etc have been seen in the Thames for years. I saw a seal near my work at Tower Bridge 2 years ago.
posted by movilla at 4:10 PM on January 20, 2006
posted by movilla at 4:10 PM on January 20, 2006
I missed the photoshop photo. Flickr has one though - was this it?
posted by deborah at 7:11 PM on January 20, 2006
posted by deborah at 7:11 PM on January 20, 2006
I for one welcome our new whale overlords.
Seriously, I shorely hope the big fellow (or fella) makes it back out to mer-sea and finds its i-pod.
posted by NorthernSky at 11:25 PM on January 20, 2006
Seriously, I shorely hope the big fellow (or fella) makes it back out to mer-sea and finds its i-pod.
posted by NorthernSky at 11:25 PM on January 20, 2006
posted by cillit bang at 3:38 AM on January 21, 2006
Is he by the Battersea Power Station?
The Pink Floyd album that never was.
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:12 AM on January 21, 2006
The Pink Floyd album that never was.
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:12 AM on January 21, 2006
The news just announced that it died during transport. :(
posted by NorthernSky at 11:23 AM on January 21, 2006
posted by NorthernSky at 11:23 AM on January 21, 2006
From the ocean depths, only to die at the whim of curiosity:
posted by cenoxo at 1:30 PM on January 21, 2006
... H. ampullatus frequently approaches sluggish ships and may circle around them for an hour or more. This behavior, coupled with the tendancy for group members to aid an injured individual, made the Northern bottlenose whale a favorite target of whaling vesselsWhat a pity. Farewell, Hyperoodon ampullatus.
posted by cenoxo at 1:30 PM on January 21, 2006
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Nice ending.
posted by TheDonF at 4:30 AM on January 20, 2006