Gravesend’s RNLI volunteers believe that they spotted two adults and a calf in the River Thames around midday on February 25.
The crew onboard the lifeboat Olive Laura Deare II were finishing an assignment given by HM Coastguard, when they saw the dolphins in the water at Northfleet.
RNLI updated their statement to clarify that the animals the crew saw are believed to be dolphins, not porpoises as originally identified.
Dolphins tend to have prominent, elongated “beaks” and cone-shaped teeth, while porpoises have smaller mouths and spade-shaped teeth.
The dolphin’s hooked or curved dorsal fin is a little different from the porpoise’s triangular dorsal fin.
After the encounter, the crew was back in Gravesend Reach, refuelled, and ready for service by 12.14pm
RNLI crew member John Robinson said: “It was an incredible sight, we spotted the Dolphin like fins at first, there were two adults and a calf, they were approximately two metres in length, incredible to witness right here on the River Thames, especially when they were jumping out of the water”
Gravesend RNLI Station Manager Ian Smith added: “We often see Seals whilst out on the Lifeboat, but Porpoises and Dolphins are definitely on the rarer side of marine mammals we spot!”
Earlier in the week, dolphins were also spotted near Canary Warf for multiple days in a row.
@RupanjanaDutta shared on X (formerly Twitter): “And the pod of dolphins 🐬🐬are back today in River Thames, spotted second day in a row.
“A view from our flat near Canary Wharf today.”
And the pod of dolphins 🐬🐬are back today in River Thames, spotted second day in a row.
A view from our flat near Canary Wharf today. pic.twitter.com/vrr0vov5Nl— Rupanjana | রূপাঞ্জনা (@RupanjanaDutta) February 21, 2024
The Thames is a habitat for a myriad of wildlife, including migratory and overwintering birds, 125 species of fish, and various marine and terrestrial mammals.
