A DEAD Humpback whale with its stillborn calf protruding through its birth canal, still in its placenta, washed out onto the shore at an Athlone Park beach on August 14.

Also read: Decomposing whale carcass results in beach closure

The incident happened near the Wavecrest Road flats. Fisherman Manny David said he had been fishing around 07:30 when he noticed something big floating on the backline.

“At first, I thought it was a boat that had capsized, but as it got closer, I saw that it was a whale,” said David.

By 08:00, it had reached the shore where it rested on the shoreline on its back. There were indications that it had died a few days prior as it was rotting and the stench was almost unbearable. Some big bite marks also indicated that a shark had attempted to take a bite of the flesh.

ET Rapid Response’s Tony Lokker was the first to assess the situation and relay the information to relevant departments. While the cause of death had not been determined at the time of going to press, eThekwini Municipality’s beach manager, Jace Govender, said it looked like the whale died giving birth. As the waves continued to batter the carcass on the shoreline, the calf and the placenta became detached from the mother.

While the whale could have died of complications while giving birth, the World Wide Fund for Nature said the leading cause of death for whales in the ocean is the entanglement in commercial fishing equipment.

“It can also reduce a whale’s fitness by restricting its mobility and impairing its breathing, swimming or feeding. Nets and lines cut through a whale’s skin and fat, exposing the animal to infection, amputation or death,” it said in a statement on its website.

Govender said the dead whales will be dismembered and buried in the sand to minimise pollution and contamination of the water.

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