"The Whale That Swam to London": Noise, Navigation and Spatial-Temporal Awareness

In January 2006, a juvenile female Bottlenosed Whale became trapped in the Thames in the centre of London. The event attracted international interest. Rescue of the whale was attempted but failed. This paper describes these events and discusses the role of underwater sound in whale navigation. The effect of high-energy waveguide modified signals producing whale-like signatures capable of inducing changes in behavior over wide geographical areas is discussed. So also is the noise environment of the Thames itself. Finally consideration is given to the possible methods and mechanisms employed by whales in effecting migration and foraging journeys.