Desperate battle to save pod of stranded pilot whales off UK coast

| Night News Editor Published September 21, 2026 7:29pm Updated September 21, 2026 7:30pm To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A family of pilot whales have been beached off a remote British island. The British Divers Marine Life Rescue said they were alerted to a pod of pilot whales near the shore off Warkworth, Northumberland on Sunday afternoon. Medics were called to the scene and a plan of action to save them was formed hours after another pod were spotted in the River Thames in London. The wildlife specialists tried to lure the rare whales from the rocks and away from the danger of stranding. But a number steadfastly remained tightly packed’ around the largest whales in the group that was lying motionless on their side. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Pilot whales, believed to number 700,000 in North Atlantic, are particularly prone to mass strandings because they travel in closely bonded social groups. Stranded whales on the rocks off Coquet Island (Picture: bdmlr.org.uk) As it got dark the herding attempt had to be stood down as it was no longer possible to see. On Monday morning, the RSPB reported that up to a dozen whales were stranded on Coquet Island in very difficult terrain around rocky ledges. Six whales were found, five ashore and one afloat, with two of the stranded animals confirmed dead. A British Divers Marine Life Rescue spokeswoman said: ‘Due to the tides, access to the island is limited to only a couple of hours either side of high water, with no option for people to remain on there overnight, therefore the team was working under incredibly tight timings with whatever help could arrive there by then. ‘Attempts were made to refloat the live animals by our teams, however with treacherous terrain and the size and power of the animals on difficult terrain and being a significant safety issue it was not possible to successfully refloat them as the tide fell away from them and they had to withdraw.’ Their team is patrolling the coast to sight other members of the pod that may still be in the area or strand, ready to provide care and aim to refloat those who get stranded. The Port of London Authority and British Divers Marine Life Rescue have been working on an effort to ‘herd’ the whales out to sea. (Picture: Port of London Authority) It came after a separate pod of pilot whales were herded out of the River Thames over the weekend. One of the whales was seen looking ill and separated from the group It is believed to be a different group with it thought to be impossible for a pilot whale to swim that far in 24 hours. If anyone sights pilot whales in the area or finds them stranded please call British Divers Marine Life on 01825 765546. Dangers facing pilot whales However, pilot whales still face several threats: Entanglement in fishing gear Pollution, including high levels of PCBs and other contaminants found in some stranded animals Noise pollution from ships and naval activity, which may interfere with navigation Arrow MORE: At least 200 flights cancelled after another air traffic ‘technical issue’ Arrow MORE: A ‘shivery bite’ could be the thing to cure our impending winter blues Arrow MORE: The UK has over 850 saunas, but this one has the best views News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.