Humpback whales are always glorious to gaze upon when they’re exploring the blue waters of our oceans, but no one enjoys waking up to the unfortunate sight of one of these majestic creatures beached.
Unfortunately, this appeared to be the case for Melkbosstrand residents on Monday, October 18, when a beached 9-metre female humpback whale was found on Riebeekstrand, north of Sout River.
According to IOL, City of Cape Town officials and Disaster Risk Management teams quickly arrived at the scene to remove the carcass. Spatial Planning and Environment Mayco member Marian Nieuwoudt stated that the humpback appeared to have no external injuries and could have very recently passed away due to natural causes.
Beachings, especially in the Western Cape are a rare occurrence but usually take place as a result of sickness or injury.
