The northern bottlenose whale which died so publicly in London's River Thames in January suffered from several serious ailments.

Photo: Brett Lewis

Remains of the 6m long whale, which was estimated to be six years old, have been examined by scientists at London's Natural History Museum, where the creature's skeleton could soon go on display.

The team has confirmed what was already suspected - that the whale had been badly dehydrated, and that it suffered from muscular and kidney malfunctions. But the team has also established that the animal was suffering from severe arthritis.

Pitting was found on the atlas vertebra, linking the spine and skull. It is thought that the whale may have had to endure considerable pain during swimming or other actions involving head movement.

*A pod of three northern bottlenose whales, similar to the Thames whale, was spotted cruising among the Inner Hebrides, off western Scotland, earlier this month.

Another northern bottlenose whale was spotted on the other side of Britain, successfully freeing itself from either ropes or nets near Sunderland.

Normally, the species stays offshore, whether in the Atlantic or the North and Bering Seas. The Hebrides pod is thought to have ended up inshore after chasing squid, a food it favours.

Related links
Thames rescue attempt
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Natural History Museum
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

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