Porpoise trapped in Clyde is freed

Porpoise trapped in Clyde is freed
Divers took advantage of a high tide to rescue the porpoise from a weir at Glasgow Green.

A harbour porpoise that was stuck in the River Clyde for nearly a week has been freed and is now heading backing out to sea.

Rescuers had become increasingly concerned about the porpoise, nicknamed Clyde, which has been in the river since last Thursday.

A team of four from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue tried unsuccessfully to coax the porpoise back through a weir at Glasgow Green on Tuesday.

But the rescuers, led by Glasgow policeman Craig Borthwick - who is a member of BDMLR - used last evening's high tide to get Clyde to swim back through the weir, which was then shut behind the cetacean.

They banged scaffolding poles together to scare Clyde towards safety.

They were assisted by members of Clyde Rowing Club and coastguards.

The rescuers were ready to use recorded killer whale sounds after taking advice from the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University.

"We didn't need to use the Orca sounds underwater in the end because the scaffolding poles worked. The killer whales were going to be a last resort," said a spokesman for the BDMLR.

"We were becoming increasingly concerned that this porpoise was not moving from where it was. But it is now heading out ton sea where it will find fresh food. It has probably survived on small fish like eels but it must have had a limited supply."

The porpoise is believed to be the same animal that was seen swimming near Rutherglen on Monday.

"We think this is the same creature spotted last Thursday. It had gone the wrong way and through the weir which leads to brackish water and more threats from boats," said the spokesman.

"Everybody is in the pub celebrating a successful rescue now."

The cetacean is at least the second to be spotted in the river in recent years.

A wounded dolphin swam near Glasgow's Science Centre for two days in 2008 before finally making his way back to open water.