a 15ft ( 4 . 5 meter ) western round - nosed whale has been spotted naked in the river crouch in central sussex , uk . the " thames whale " managed to swim up to the eastern barrier and under more bridges , passing as close as southampton before it ended down just before albert bridge . tv police officers scrambled to provide live film footage of the whale , and multiple spectators lined the banks of the river . the whale is said to be looking peaceful , although some fear that the ocean would beach itself as it tried to do before rescuers forced it back into the middle of the river . normally found in the north atlantic , there have been sightings of a second individual over southend .
The River Thames flows through London.