Through the collaborative efforts of the City of Cape Town and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Hout Bay Station, a 35-ton whale carcass has successfully been removed and disposed of.
The massive carcass was initially discovered to be floating in Hout Bay and has since been safely transported to Vissershok Landfill on Sunday, 17 November 2024, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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The whale carcass was first spotted early Saturday morning, 16 November, as it was floating off Kommetjie and drifting towards the coast.
The operation to dispose of the whale then promptly began.
The City’s Coastal Management Department was immediately activated to oversee the retrieval operation. After assessment, the decision was made to tow the carcass to the Hout Bay slipway using a specialised vessel provided by the NSRI Hout Bay Station.
Once at the slipway, the City’s Urban Waste Management team, Traffic Services and the Corporate Fleet Management team took over to execute the challenging task of loading the carcass for transport to the landfill. Stabilising the carcass on the flatbed of the truck was a task which proved difficult as it was already in an advanced state of decomposition.
Special recognition has been given to the services of Marwaan Davids and Buyron Phillips. Davids was responsible for supervising the two-day transport operation and reportedly did so in an exemplary manner. Buyron on the other hand was the driver of the flatbed truck and showed remarkable skill and bravery throughout the operation.
Traffic Services then assisted with traffic control while the carcass was on route, ensuring civilian vehicles were kept at a safe distance.
Once the carcass had reached the landfill, the disposal team followed the protocol for trenching and it was safely disposed by the staff on site.
A trench had been dug in anticipation of the whale’s arrival, but had to be widened and lengthened significantly due to the size of the animal.
‘This was a complex and challenging operation, but thanks to the excellent coordination between the City and the NSRI, we were able to ensure the safe removal of the whale carcass with minimal disruption to the local community and environment’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
Twigg proceeded to thank the NSRI Hout Bay Station, various city departments and the public for their aid and patience while the massive operation was carried out.
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Picture: City of Cape Town
