A woman looks at the carcass of a Brydes Whale, which has washed up on Kommetjie beach, in Cape Town, on August 10, 2020. – (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)
A woman looks at the carcass of a Brydes Whale, which has washed up on Kommetjie beach, in Cape Town, on August 10, 2020. – (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)
Cape Town’s solid waste management officials will be deployed to Long Beach in Kommetjie, Cape Town, after a Bryde Whale washed up on the beach on Monday. The tragic event has also made the region extremely dangerous, as ‘increased shark activity’ has been reported off the coast.
Shark warning for Cape Town residents
The predators have clocked that an easy source of food is waiting for them near the shore, and all paddlers and surfers have been advised to use an alternative beach until the whale carcass has been cleared.
Residents of both Kommetjie and Noordhoek in the Cape Peninsula are on high alert, and the operation to remove the beached whale begins in earners on Tuesday: NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon in a statement:
“NSRI and City of Cape Town (CoCT) Marine Animal Stranding Network are appealing to surfers, paddlers and bathers on the Atlantic Seaboard, Cape Town, particularly in the Long Beach, Kommetjie and Noordhoek areas, to be cautious following a Bryde’s whale carcass that has washed up on Long Beach, Kommetjie, on Monday 10 August.”
Beached whale washes up in Kommetjie
It’s understood that female Bryde’s whales can weigh up to 40 000 kilograms and reach a length of 16.5 metres. Males reach a maximum length of 15 metres, but their maximum weight remains unknown. The whales are found in all oceans of the world but prefer temperatures of 16 degrees or more.
The Brydes Whale is a filter-feeder, with the ventral grooves allowing the whale to expand the skin around its mouth, to let in a lot of water at once. This whale has some wounds, but it not clear what caused its death
Shark warnings in place as Cape Town beach closed
The ghastly site drew in a few puzzled onlookers on Monday, but with all being well, the whale can be put to rest with its dignity intact. Meanwhile, it’s been stated that gully sharks continue to circle on Tuesday.
CAUTION: A Brydes whale carcass has washed up at Longbeach, Kommetjie and a drone has spotted a number of sharks (unknown species) in the area. Water users are advised to exercise extreme caution and use an alternative beach until the carcass is removed tomorrow. #BeSharkSmart pic.twitter.com/Exb1LZEEIx
— Shark Spotters (@SharkSpotters) August 10, 2020
