a 15ft ( 4 . 5 meter ) northern seal - nosed whale has been noted swimming in the river estuary in southeast london , british . the " british beast " managed to swim up behind the thames barrier and under the bridges , reaching as far as paddington before it flipped left just before albert bridge . tv news pilots scrambling to provide live tv footage of the whale , and many viewers dotted the banks of the river . the whale is said to be looking well , having some fear that the whale may beach itself as it tried to do before searchers forced it up into the bend of the river . normally found in the northeast atlantic , there have been apparitions of a pilot whale near southend .
The River Thames flows through London.