Two dolphins found dead on bank of River Thames

A dolphin has been found dead on the bank of the Thames in west London, days after one was spotted in the river last week.

On Thursday, a dolphin nicknamed Jo Jo was spotted swimming between the Hammersmith and Putney bridges.

However, on Monday morning a dolphin was pictured dead on the bank of the river near Chelsea Harbour Pier.

Another dolphin was reportedly found on the riverbank at Greenwich but it is not known when it had died.

Warning: This article contains images that some may find distressing

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) was tracking Jo Jo on Thursday.

Mary Tester, Thames area coordinator for BDMLR, told BBC London that two dead dolphins found in recent days may been from the same pod.

She said: "Normally when we have seen dolphins in the past they have been around Greenwich or Canary Wharf, so for them to be spotted this far up the river is quite odd and so many sightings in quick succession - that has never happened before."

Two dolphins were spotted swimming in the Thames close to Canary Wharf before sightings of Jo Jo were reported.

Ms Tester said autopsies on the dolphins may shed light on what had caused their deaths.

A Port of London Authority spokesperson said: "We are aware of a dolphin that sadly died. We are working with the Cetaceans Stranding Investigation Programme to recover the animal."

The dead animal was pictured on the bank of the river near Battersea

BDMLR's volunteers are trained to treat marine mammals that become stranded on land and are now seeking permission to assist animals that may be in distress in the Thames.

Luke Denne, a journalist at the Climate Centre, said he had spotted a dolphin last week while out filming a story about water quality in the Thames.

He said he was "quite surprised" to see one that far down the river. Mr Denne then called the BDMLR, which tracks dolphins and marine life that could get into difficulty.

The dead animal was seen on Monday morning

Ms Tester last week said there were a "lot of different theories" on why dolphins were "coming down the river".

She said it could be the improved water quality of the Thames over recent years, which had improved the level of fish that dolphins preyed on.

"There's lots of noise in that water," Ms Tester said. "The bends and turns of the river could potentially negatively impact dolphins' echo-location."

The dolphin seen on Thursday was nicknamed Jo Jo by those tracking it

Ms Tester said Jo Jo had last been spotted swimming towards Chelsea when they lost sight of it on Thursday evening.

Members of the public that spot a dolphin swimming in the Thames, or any inland waterway, have been urged to alert the BDMLR and avoid following it in boats or canoes.