A whale in the shallow water of the River Thames is like a human lost in the heat of the Sahara desert.

It was a valiant attempt, and they did their best.

It also seems to be in distress. It has made two seemingly deliberate attempts to beach itself.

I am very concerned for the safety of this animal at the moment, particularly if boat traffic increases in the river.

The guys out there are the best there we've got. But they have to make the hardest decision in the world now: Whether it's safe to move it or take the most humane option, which is euthanasia.

It was already dehydrated, hadn't been feeding and being out of the water would have, in effect, shriveled the animal's internal organs. It was essential to try to take the whale out to sea on the barge, but there was always the risk this would happen.