Giants of deep on a grand tour

Two years ago I was in London when a five-metre whale got disoriented and swam 60 kilometres up the River Thames, blowing air out of its spout opposite Parliament and drawing large crowds and TV crews. The story gripped the nation for days, with the media giving the unfortunate mammal the sort of attention normally reserved for other larger-than-life creatures, such as Britney Spears. “Free Willy”, ran one tabloid headline as attempts to save the whale got under way.

It was the first time since records began in 1913 that a northern bottle-nosed whale had been seen in the Thames. Despite being accustomed to seeing whales off the Australian coast, I was hooked and joined the throngs to witness the dramatic but ultimately unsuccessful rescue.