The Mossel Bay Municipality in the Southern Cape has warned of possible shark activity at Dias Beach where four pygmy sperm whales were euthanised.
The carcasses of the animals are in the process of being removed.
The whales were stranded in the surf on Wednesday, but despite efforts to save them, a decision was made by the Department of Environment to euthanise them.
The Environment Department will perform a necropsy on the animals, and the carcasses will then be buried in a designated area.
Municipality spokesperson Cornelle Carstens says, “It is important to note that a decision to euthanise a stranded whale is never taken lightly. Efforts to return them to the sea should only be carried out if they are deemed to have a good chance of survival, otherwise, it can cause unnecessary stress and suffering for the animal. The public is urged to refrain from gaining access to Dias Beach which is currently cordoned off. The area is currently considered a high-risk shark zone due to the runoff caused by the clean-up operation.”
Durban beachfront freak wave
Meanwhile, three people have drowned and 17 others have been seriously injured at the Durban beachfront in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday.
It’s alleged that several people were washed out to sea by a freak wave.
KZN Emergency Services spokesperson Robert McKenzie says, “Earlier this afternoon (Tuesday), emergency services responded to the eThekwini beachfront where a freak wave had washed several people out to sea.”
“Sadly three people have drowned as a result paramedics have treated a total of 17 patients at the scene who were in a serious and critical condition before transporting them through to hospital for continued medical care.”
Additional reporting by Nonhlakanipho Magwaza.
Three people killed by a freak wave at Durban’s north beach:
