January 20, 2006—Londoners are not in the habit of driving away tourists. But this visitor's health could be in serious jeopardy if it can't be convinced to return home soon.

A Northern bottlenose whale (pictured above) was spotted today making its way up the River Thames, drawing crowds of onlookers, a police escort, and the concern of animal welfare groups.

The whales, which can grow up to 30 feet (9 meters) long, are normally found in the open waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.

"The fact that it is swimming upstream is not a good sign," Alison Shaw, a manager of the Zoological Society of London's Marine and Freshwater Conservation Program, told the Associated Press. "The whale must be confused or ill."

Workers with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were on the scene to help keep the animal from beaching on the river's shallow banks. Conservationists hope the whale is well enough to eventually reverse course.

"We won't be attempting to handle the animal while it's still free swimming," Tony Woodley, director of BDMLR, said in a press statement. "This would cause the animal great stress, and it is also quite dangerous to try and handle an animal of this size in the water."