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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Thames Estuary dead whale towed to Sheerness docks | Thames Estuary dead whale towed to Sheerness docks |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A dead whale has been towed to shore from the Thames Estuary after it was spotted in the sea off Kent. | A dead whale has been towed to shore from the Thames Estuary after it was spotted in the sea off Kent. |
| Thames coastguard said the whale, a young female humpback measuring about 36ft (11m), had been taken to Sheerness docks where experts will examine it. | |
| An alert was raised at about 07:00 GMT after the whale was spotted by crew on a nearby tug, off the Isle of Grain. | An alert was raised at about 07:00 GMT after the whale was spotted by crew on a nearby tug, off the Isle of Grain. |
| Earlier, the coastguard issued navigation warnings to vessels in the area to avoid the animal. | Earlier, the coastguard issued navigation warnings to vessels in the area to avoid the animal. |
| A decision was later made to tow it in after the whale drifted closer to shore, a spokesman said. | A decision was later made to tow it in after the whale drifted closer to shore, a spokesman said. |
| 'Floated on tide' | |
| Two experts from the Zoological Society of London and the Natural History Museum are to carry out a post-mortem examination on the whale. | |
| Emma Webb, from British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said there were no obvious signs at this stage to show how the whale died. | |
| But she said the mammal was quite young and not fully grown. | |
| "Whales of this type can grow to around 59ft (18m) so this was quite a way under that figure," she said. | |
| "It's not unusual for humpback whales to be in the North Sea at this time of year. | |
| "It was probably feeding in the North Sea and died and perhaps floated down here on the tide." |