NSRI are appealing to surfers, paddlers and bathers along the Southern Cape coastline, particularly at Buffels Bay, but also along the Southern Cape coastline between Mossel Bay and Tsitsikamma, to be cautious following a whale carcass that remains at the Wild Side of Buffels Bay in shallow surf.
The whale carcass has proven difficult to remove and is causing noticeable increased shark activity in the area, and caution is advised.
Sea Rescue Knysna is aware of the beached whale in Buffalo Bay.
Sadly, due to the extreme weather conditions and huge…Posted by Sea Rescue Knysna on Saturday, 15 August 2020
According to the Strandloper Project, a juvenile humpback whale was stranded on the shore on the afternoon of Saturday, August 15.
“Confined to a rocky gully and battered by huge waves generated by a 6m swell, the whale sustained numerous lacerations. Conditions and the location of the whale made a rescue attempt impossible and sadly it died at about 6pm,” they write on their Facebook page.
Dr Gwen Penry from the Plettenberg Marine Mammal Stranding Network and Keith Spencer from Cape Nature conducted sampling of the carcass on Sunday, August 16.
“The whale was approximately 8.5m and the blubber was 27cm thick (indicating that it was in good condition) and there were no visible signs of injuries that could have led to the stranding. The whale couldn’t be sexed as it was lying upright and the genital slit could not be seen to distinguish between female and male.”
They add that CapeNature would monitor the carcass and leave it on site if possible.
Picture: Facebook / Sea Rescue Knysna