Alright, brace yourself. The Thames has had whales. Not a joke. In 2006, a northern bottlenose whale got lost and swam up to Chelsea. It was a massive event—everyone went out to gawk, and sadly it died, but still! A whale! In London! There have also been dolphins spotted as recently as 2026, leaping around near Gravesend. (Gravesend: now a dolphin-watching hotspot. Who knew?)
Then there are the porpoises. Harbour porpoises are shy, small, and they pop up in the estuary fairly often. They’re like the introverts of the ocean who just want to eat fish and not be bothered by jet skis.
