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Beluga whale spotted again in River Thames

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The beluga whale spotted in the River Thames on Tuesday has been sighted again near Gravesend.

Ecologist Dave Andrews first shared video of the mammal on social media yesterday, which he said was swimming in the river off Coalhouse Fort, Essex.

Just after 9.30am today, Sky's Enda Brady spotted the whale again, writing on Twitter that it had "just surfaced on the Gravesend side of the estuary".

It appears to have moved a few miles further west since yesterday.

The Thames ? just surfaced on the Gravesend side of the estuary

— enda brady (@SkyEnda) 26 September 2018

It is not clear why the whale, usually found in the Arctic, came to be in the River Thames.

One theory is that it followed a shoal of fish while seeking food.

Experts have said the whale may be lost and in danger and rescue teams are on standby.

A spokeswoman for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue said whale rescue pontoons are prepared to re-float the whale if it gets stranded.

She said the beluga's visit to the Thames was a "very rare occurrence", and urged people to watch the whale from the shore, rather than going out in boats to see it.

Image: Beluga whales are usually found in the Arctic. File pic

It is rare for a beluga whale to be seen alone, as they usually form groups of around 10. During the summer months, they can gather in their hundreds or even thousands.

The worldwide population is thought to be around 150,000, mostly found in the seas around North America, Russia and Greenland.

It is not the first time a beluga has been spotted in UK waters, however: in 2015, two were spotted off the Northumberland coast and one off Northern Ireland.

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In 2006, a northern bottle-nosed whale up to 18ft-long (5m) became stranded in the Thames for two days.

She died from convulsions as she was being rescued.

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