A whale carcass washed up in South Africa travels by land

A dead whale believed to have attracted deadly sharks and closed beaches will rest at a landfill...

16:03 10 October 2012

A 30metre southern Right Whale that ended up dead at the shores of Cape Town, in South Africa, on Sunday has made its way on to land, as officials began their operation to remove the giant carcass on Monday.

 

The whale was hauled from near Capricorn Beach and travelled by road - supposedly in a lorry - along Cape Town’s False Bay coastline to a landfill, according to a report by The Telegraph.

 

It is unclear what may have caused the death of the mammal, but the floating whale has caused a lot of local activity.

 

There were reports of sharks being spotted in the waters near the whale with some claiming they were deadly Great White sharks feeding on the carcass. It is understood that False Bay beaches from Muizenberg to Monwabisi were shut on Sunday, and that some beaches will remain closed to the public until further notice.

 

A spokesperson for the city, Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, explained the situation to The Telegraph. He said: “It had become beached and was dead by the time officials could get to it.

 

“The animal had several bits of flesh taken out of it, and it appears it had been bitten by sharks."

 

Mr. Solomons-Johannes said a specialist marine rescue team were called in to deal with taking the whale remains away, adding that “diggers and a lorry” were used.

 

He said: "It was heaved onto the back of a truck and taken to a landfill site for disposal."

 

This type of whale is believed to preside in deep ocean waters, but that they travel to an area off South Africa in order to mate each year. It is thought that an adult southern Right Whale can weigh as much as 60tonnes.