Cape Town beach closed as live whale stranded

schumi

schumi

Honorary Master
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
25,095
Reaction score
2,032
Location
Durban
Cape Town - A live juvenile humpback whale is stranded at Sandy Bay, the City of Cape Town said on Sunday.

In a statement it said law enforcement officers had since closed the beach.

The public has been urged to stay away from the area.

Environmental affairs officials were at the scene.

A decision had been made to euthanise the whale.

"Once the process has been concluded the carcass will be towed to the Hout Bay harbour from where it will be taken to the landfill site at Vissershok," the city said.

"The public is requested to avoid Sandy Bay beach and the Hout Bay harbour during the course of the day as the operation will only be completed late this evening."

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/cape-town-beach-closed-as-live-whale-stranded-20170305
 
schumi said:
"Once the process has been concluded the carcass will be towed to the Hout Bay harbour from where it will be taken to the landfill site at Vissershok," the city said.
Click to expand...

Would it not be cheaper to tow it out to sea and blow it up?
 
Cape Town beach closed as live whale stranded
Click to expand...

Well it wouldn't be stranded if it was a dead whale now would it?
 
Solarion said:
Well it wouldn't be stranded if it was a dead whale now would it?
Click to expand...

crackersa said:
https://www.google.co.za/search?ie=...+stranded&gws_rd=cr&ei=ex-8WPXxIsnfgAbn2pnYCA
Click to expand...

Aaaw s**t

1310429159877.jpg
 
Thor187 said:
Why did they kill it?
Click to expand...

Once out the water the weight of the animal crushes its own organs. They have evolved to be in water and due to their size, once on land, they crush themselves.

I was speaking to the marine biologists who where there and they said that there was 0% chance if it surviving if they pulled it back into the sea. Bomb squad arrived late in the afternoon, shaped charge to the head to euthanize the poor thing. Detonation was loud, karked myself as I was lighting the BBQ. But in all honesty I think it was the right thing to do, it had spent at least 2 low tides crushing itself. Sad.

Side note, the marine services noted that no one knows why they beach themselves, only obvious beachings are injury, but this one had no indication of boat strike.

Thumbs up to the marine services and the NSRI (who had about 40 volunteers on site and 3 rubber ducks and a proper boat), hats off to them.

IMG_20170305_114842.jpg

IMG_20170305_115643.jpg
 
Draganchor said:
Once out the water the weight of the animal crushes its own organs. They have evolved to be in water and due to their size, once on land, they crush themselves.

I was speaking to the marine biologists who where there and they said that there was 0% chance if it surviving if they pulled it back into the sea. Bomb squad arrived late in the afternoon, shaped charge to the head to euthanize the poor thing. Detonation was loud, karked myself as I was lighting the BBQ. But in all honesty I think it was the right thing to do, it had spent at least 2 low tides crushing itself. Sad.

Side note, the marine services noted that no one knows why they beach themselves, only obvious beachings are injury, but this one had no indication of boat strike.

Thumbs up to the marine services and the NSRI (who had about 40 volunteers on site and 3 rubber ducks and a proper boat), hats off to them.

View attachment 421770

View attachment 421772
Click to expand...
Wow very interesting I actually did not even imagine to think of that.

Thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X