Dead Whale Closes Cape Beach for Holidaymakers
The carcass of a humpback whale that floated ashore closed Strand Beach near Cape Town on Wednesday at the height of the Christmas holidays, for fears that its blood and blubber would attract sharks. The massive body was moved away with heavy machinery. Soon after the carcass was found, the city closed off the beach, saying […]
The carcass of a humpback whale that floated ashore closed Strand Beach near Cape Town on Wednesday at the height of the Christmas holidays, for fears that its blood and blubber would attract sharks. The massive body was moved away with heavy machinery.
Soon after the carcass was found, the city closed off the beach, saying in a statement, “The blood and debris from the carcass can attract sharks to the area”.
The whale, believed to be a female, was almost 15 metres long, according to an expert at the site. He said it was not unusual to find whales washed up on shore in South Africa.
It was unclear why the whale died, although he said the Department of Environmental Affairs was gathering specimens to determine the cause of death. He said it seemed unlikely it was from an entanglement or a boat strike, and could possibly been from illness, but the tests would determine the cause.