Second whale calf washes up on KZN South Coast beach
The carcass has been taken to Scott Kvalsig's farm to be buried.
A second whale has washed up dead along the South Coast in less than a week.
The first, a humpback calf, washed up on St Mike’s beach on Tuesday last week.
Authorities made the difficult decision to euthanise this calf taking into consideration its poor condition. It was exhausted and battling to breathe.
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Members of the KZN Marine Stranding Network and authorities were notified about a second whale which washed up on Ramsgate beach this morning (Tuesday).
Scott Kvalsvig and Carla Steenkamp of KZN Marine Stranding Network said the second whale measured about five metres, two metres longer than the one which washed up last week.
“The calf has been perforated by sharks and there are a lot of bites on the top of its mouth, tail and flippers,” said Kvalsvig.
He explained that some researchers think, but are not sure, that the whale fatalities could be because the whale population has quadrupled in the last 10 years.
Authorities from Ray Nkonyeni Municipality have moved the carcass from the waterline and have taken it to Kvalsvig’s farm to be buried.
Steenkamp thanked Wolf Security and Ramsgate Community Police Forum for keeping an eye on the carcass before it was taken to Kvalsvig’s farm.
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