Seal spotted sunbathing in central London

A seal has been spotted sunbathing near Canary Wharf, to the delight of passerbys.

The black and white speckled animal was seen frolicking in the small waves of the Thames on a busy Saturday in central London.

Both grey seals and harbour seals are known to be spotted in the Thames, but it’s a welcome surprise when they decide to sunbathe.

Last month, the Zoological Society of London said 600 harbour seals and 3,000 grey seals live in the Thames Estuary, with some opting to swim up further near central London.

ZSL’s Hannah McCormick told the BBC: ‘Seals are playful but shy creatures, so using a long-range lens to take photos from a distance allows us to maximise our counting accuracy while also minimising any disturbance – helping us build the strongest possible understanding of how these native species are faring in the Thames, and highlighting the importance of protecting this ecosystem.’

The river – which was once declared ‘biologically dead’ in 1957 – is now teeming with life.

The Thames supports over 115 species of fish, 92 species of bird and has almost 600 hectares of saltmarsh – a crucial wildlife habitat.

Tope, Starry Smoothhound and Spurdog sharks are using the river as a nursery as adults like pupping in shallow bays and estuaries.

The Thames provides an ideal habitat – with young sharks remaining for up to two years.

They share the Thames estuary with seahorses. The odd fishes have small ranges – so hang out there all year round.

Pie and mash and jellied eels once sustained dockers and their families and the iconic snake-like, fish is a common sight in East End waters once more.

There are also wild native oysters in the outer estuary. They provide food and reefs for young fish – and also filter the water.

Alison Debney, of ZSL, said in 2021: ‘Estuaries are one of our neglected and threatened ecosystems. They provide us with clean water, protection from flooding and are an important nursery for fish and other wildlife.

‘The Thames estuary and it’s associated ‘blue carbon’ habitats are critically important in our fight to mitigate climate change and build a strong and resilient future for nature and people.

‘This report has enabled us to really look at how far the Thames has come on its journey to recovery since it was declared biologically dead, and in some cases, set baselines to build from in the future.’

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