--- title: Narwhal spotted at Lambeth Bridge description: We always knew Google Maps was good! Google Maps did prove its accuracy; when we looked out of the window from the 27th floor down towards Lambeth Bridge there was indeed a visitor! […] url: https://canonical.com/blog/01-narwhal-at-lambeth-bridge?format=md --- 1. [Blog](https://canonical.com/blog) 2. Article --- [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical "More about Canonical") 1 April 2011 # Narwhal spotted at Lambeth Bridge [Design](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/design) [inspiration](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/inspiration-2) [Natty Narwhal](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/natty-narwhal) [Ubuntu](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/ubuntu) [Ubuntu Desktop](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/ubuntu-desktop) --- Share the article We always knew [Google Maps was good!](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=51.493,-0.124&z=17) Canonical and Ubuntu are a global organisation and there’s always *somebody* awake *somewhere*. Today that somebody was Jono Bacon, staying up late on the west coast of the United States. Before anyone in the UK was even awake [there was a tweet](http://twitter.com/jonobacon/status/53699993583886336) saying that the Google satellites had spotted the early arrival of a yellow Narwhal in the [River Thames](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Thames) just outside the London [Millbank Tower](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millbank_Tower) Canonical offices. Google Maps did indeed prove its accuracy; when we looked out of the window from the 27th floor down towards [Lambeth Bridge](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeth_Bridge) there was a visitor: Narwhal visiting Lambeth Bridge, seen from the Canonical Offices. In Ubuntu we like to publicly test everything, yesterday the hundreds of people working on Ubuntu released [Ubuntu 11.04 Beta 1](http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/natty/beta). Canonical’s head of PR has informed us that just like the release, the Narwhal visit has been carefully orchestrated as part of the press activities for the final Ubuntu 11.04 release later in April. This 1st visit is a “beta” run to recheck whale head-room clearances under the bridges at low-tide. ## Sign up for our newsletter Get the latest Canonical news and updates in your inbox. Work email: \*I agree to receive information about Canonical's products and services. By submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and agree to [Canonical's Privacy Policy](https://canonical.com/legal/dataprivacy). Sign up ## Share on --- ## Related posts [### Arduino® VENTUNO™ Q is available for pre-order with Ubuntu pre-installed](https://canonical.com/blog/arduino-ventuno-q-is-available-for-pre-order-with-ubuntu-pre-installed) London, UK – August 25, 2026 – Following our initial collaboration announcement in March 2026, Canonical and Arduino (a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.) are excited... [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical) 25 August 2026 [### Canonical becomes Gold Sponsor of Trifecta Tech Foundation](https://canonical.com/blog/canonical-becomes-gold-sponsor-of-trifecta-tech-foundation) Canonical is pleased to announce it is now a Gold Sponsor of the Trifecta Tech Foundation, a non-profit that creates open source building blocks for critical infrastructure... [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical) 30 June 2026 [### Challenges designers face in open source (and how to fix them)](https://canonical.com/blog/challenges-designers-face-in-open-source-and-how-to-fix-them) Open source powers up to 90% of modern software, yet many projects lack usability. Canonical’s Design team surveyed 115 cross-functional professionals to uncover the 4 core... [Kola Ojoodide](https://canonical.com/blog/author/kola-ojoodide) 26 June 2026 [### Ubuntu Summit 26.04: connected by open source](https://canonical.com/blog/ubuntu-summit-26-04-connected-by-open-source) What an incredible experience! Ubuntu Summit 26.04 has officially drawn to a close, but the energy from our global community is still buzzing – in the comments section, on... [ilvipero](https://canonical.com/blog/author/ilvipero) 22 June 2026