The Bakoven NSRI crew on duty were alerted at 13.35pm on Saturday March 16 following eye-witness reports of a whale that had washed ashore among the rocks between Clifton and Glen beach.
When the team arrived on the scene it was confirmed that the carcass of a juvenile Southern Right whale of approximately 6 to 7 metres in length had washed ashore.
The City of Cape Town (CoCT) Marine Animal Stranding Network and the Department of Environmental Affairs – Oceans and Coasts were informed.
CoCT Law Enforcement officers and CoCT Marine Animal Stranding members were dispatched to the scene and a request was made for the NSRI to tow the carcass to the Oceana Power Boat Club (OPBC).
Two NSRI Table Bay sea rescue craft, Spirit of Vodacom and Spirit of Day were launched. Rescue swimmers were deployed into the surf and a towline was rigged.
The whale carcass was successfully towed to OPBC where CoCT Law Enforcement and the CoCT Solid Waste Management will arrange removal of the carcass.
Oceans and Coasts along with Gregg Oelofse of the CoCT Marine Animal Stranding Network confirmed that it is suspected that the whale died due to injuries sustained from a ship strike.
Picture: NSRI/Twitter