Sad end for whale calf

Despite desperate attempts to save the life of a humpback whale calf, which washed up off St Mike’s on Tuesday evening last week, it was ultimately euthanised.

Rescue swimmers from Shelly Beach National Sea Rescue Institute and members of the community swam the mammal out to sea numerous times.

Conditions were not easy – an icy wind was blowing and the tide was significantly higher than usual due to the full moon spring tide having already begun.

The rescuers were joined by KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers, KZN Marine Animal Stranding Network members, Med-Evac ambulance services and Saps Police Search and Rescue.

Scott Kvalsvig, a volunteer from KZN Marine Stranding Network, said the calf had become disorientated and swam onto the rocks near the tidal pool, injuring itself.

He said authorities from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, including two vets, were on the scene and every opportunity to save the calf was thought of and ultimately rejected.

“Authorities made the difficult decision to euthanise the calf taking into consideration its poor condition. It was exhausted and battling to breathe. It could only lift its tail every five minutes or so,” he said.

Ruahn Beattie, NSRI Shelly Beach deputy station commander, said after efforts to refloat the whale through the surf were unsuccessful – with the whale continuing to return from the surfline to beach – the option to launch an NSRI rescue craft to take the whale out to sea was considered.

But authorities on the scene deemed the whale to be injured and not in good health, with no chance of survival.
Musa Mntambo, communications manager from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, said the decision to euthanise was taken after numerous failed attempts to refloat it.

“It was not known how long it had been stranded and its organs were becoming crushed under its weight as time went on. The tide was also receding.”

Mntambo added that is wasn’t known why the whale washed-up.
Kvalsvig said the whale was measured at three metres.

“It weighed an estimated two to three tons, and it still had its umbilical cord attached. According to the mammal’s age and size, research says it should have been four to five metres in length and a lot bigger.”

He said it was a supreme effort by NSRI volunteers and a large contingent of the local community to save the whale.

Kvalsvig thanked the Wolf Security officers who watched over the whale through the night.

“At about 01:00, officers from Wolf phoned to inform me that the carcass had washed out to sea at high tide,” he said.

Kvalsvig said that once the carcass washes back onto shore it will be loaded onto a tractor and trailer with a TLB and taken to his farm.

“We will give this whale calf a dignified burial on my farm, rather then it being hacked into pieces.” he said.

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