Watch: Whale hacked to death on KZN beach

The whale carcasses being washed up on the shores of the east coast of South Africa is not an unusual phenomenon.

That is according to Wayne Harrison, the head of operations at the KZN Sharks Board, who says there is nothing wrong with our coast.

“In their travels, it is the longest mammal migration known to man, they have been feeding in the Antarctic and for at least six months in the year, they don’t feed.

“When the whales travel back to Antarctica, they pass by the KZN coast which is usually during this time of the year. These animals don’t have much to feed on. Their body condition is not in the best state and they can lose up to 10 tons in body mass, if not more. They are also vulnerable and that is why we have those mortalities along the coast here.”

He added that we will not see all the carcasses washing up.

“Only a certain percentage of animals that die here will be exposed to us and wash up on the beaches here. With the whale population increasing rapidly, there will be a higher mortality rate. The higher the mortality rate, the more animals will be washing up on the beaches,” said Harrison.

Whales are migratory, and they do not live along these coasts. In the summer months, the whales are in the Antarctic and they feed down there in the summer months because the water is nutrient-rich and there is a lot of food.

3 whales in 3 days

Vinayak Maharaj, the owner of Umhlanga Scuba, told Berea Mail that he noted three dead whales in three days.

While out at sea in Durban on Tuesday, he noticed the carcass of a whale that had attracted black tips, white tips and bull sharks. This created a feeding frenzy for sharks.

Maharaj said the other two whale carcasses beached at Umhlanga on Wednesday night and Tinley Manor on Monday.

Video footage

Another whale washed ashore at Port Durnford beach on Thursday.

Zululand Observer reported that video confirmation, however, showed that this whale was hacked for its meat while it was still alive.

While little is known as to the cause of the stranding, some believe the whale may have been hit by a propellor, given the round injuries on its skin.

The publication stated that carcass removal falls under the jurisdiction of the local municipality, and that because the whale did not wash up on a designated swimming beach, the carcass will likely remain where it is.