{"id":40455,"date":"2024-07-26T12:52:32","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T10:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fad15d88-cbe8-4fea-a10f-96e07e5ac515"},"modified":"2024-07-26T13:27:26","modified_gmt":"2024-07-26T11:27:26","slug":"a-shark-shut-up-london-locals-spot-the-fin-of-a-large-animal-in-the-river-thames","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/a-shark-shut-up-london-locals-spot-the-fin-of-a-large-animal-in-the-river-thames\/","title":{"rendered":"“A shark? Shut up!” London locals spot the fin of a large animal in the River Thames"},"content":{"rendered":"

Video footage shows what looks like the fin of a large animal in the River Thames. Is it a shark, whale, dolphin? Experts have their say… <\/p>

By Daniel Graham\n <\/p>

Published: Friday, 26 July 2024 at 10:52 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Monday night was no ordinary night in London. If you were anywhere near Hammersmith Bridge on the River Thames, you would have seen the commotion as passersby crowded to watch the fin of what appeared to be a shark moving through the water.<\/strong><\/p>

<\/strong>The animal hasn’t been seen since, leaving experts to pick apart the evidence.<\/p>

The animal was seen in the water near Hammersmith Bridge in London. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

So, was it a shark? <\/h2>

“It’s highly unlikely”, says Jack William, Senior Aquarist at Sea Life London Aquarium. “That far up the Thames the water is extremely fresh. It doesn’t start getting salty until about Chelsea.”<\/p>

Fresh water is deadly to most species of shark, though there are a few that can survive in brackish waters, as well as one or two freshwater specialists. <\/p>

The Port of London Authority agree, adding that it’s “unlikely that any sharks would swim that far upstream.” <\/p>

“A shark? Shut up!” said one member of the public when asked by BBC London what they thought of the sighting.<\/p>