Humpback whale washes up on KZN north coast
Authorities say it is impossible to tell what led to the whale’s death.
A DEAD humpback whale has washed up on Blythedale Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. According to Paul Herbst, of IPSS Medical Rescue, the calf of approximately 6 metres washed up on the beach yesterday.
“There were no marks found on the carcass. Local authorities are discussing the removal of the carcass,” Herbst said.
According to Mike Anderson-Reade from the KZN Sharks Board, the juvenile whale, like most whales was travelling back towards the Antarctic.
“The humpback whales normally visit our shores from about May onwards and slowly go back towards the Antarctic around November, December to feed during the summer. At this point we are not sure why this particular whale died,” Anderson-Reade said.
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Although the age of the whale was not known, he suggested it could have died from a number of factors.
Anderson-Reade urged visitors visiting the beach not touch the carcass, as whales – and any decomposing bodies in particular – can be carriers of possibly harmful bacteria.
Earlier this year, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife said because there had been an increase in the whale population over recent years, an increase in whale deaths was expected.
Watch: Incredible footage of whale and calf off eMdloti coast
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