PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - A juvenile Humpback whale weighing about five tons that stranded at Robberg Nature Reserve has, sadly, been humanely euthanised by marine authorities, assisted by the South African Police Service, after extensive efforts to save the animal proved unsuccessful.

Dr Gwenith Penry, marine mammal scientist and permitted stranding responder for Bayworld, Port Elizabeth Museum, said rescue efforts took from Monday 19 May at about 2pm until today before it was decided to euthanaze the 7m whale.

Penry said all protocols were followed before the wale that had stranded on a beach between the Gap and Robberg and the Island on Robberg Nature Reserve, also know as The Wild Side.

Penry said despite the efforts of many helpers and the NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew the rescue attempt was unsuccessful.

Emotional
“It took four hours to try and move the heavy whale, but each time the whale got into deeper water it turnd around and headed for the beach again,” said Penry.

When it got dark on Monday rescue attempts were postponed until Tuesday.

“It was a very emotional, and a sad ending for such a beautiful animal, ” said Penry.

This is the season when the humpback whales migrate from their feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean to their breeding grounds in Mozambique and Madagascar.

NSRI craft were used in attempting to get the 7m humpback whale into deeper water. Photos: Chanel Visser

Thanks
“A huge thanks to Plett NSRI who carried the effort yesterday. And to the Plett Stranding Network, Cape Nature rangers and other members of the public who assisted,” said Penry.

Jaco Kruger, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said duty crew, Cape Nature rangers and the Plettenberg Bay Marine Animal Stranding Network were activated following reports of the beaching.

“Our NSRI Plettenberg Bay crew responded to our NSRI Plettenberg Bay station 14 rescue base while additional NSRI crew responded to the land side at Robberg to hike to the scene. Our NSRI rescue craft Ray Farnham Rescuer, Eric Stratford and Courtenays Rescuer were launched while additional NSRI crew, Cape Nature rangers and members of the Plettenberg Bay Marine Animal stranding Network responded. On arrival on the scene the approximately 7 meter juvenile Humpback whale was found beaching in shallow surf," Kruger said.

Good Samaritans
The teams, assisted by bystander Good Samaritans, conducted extensive efforts to re-float the whale through the surf zone in a rising tide including efforts to tow the whale to deeper waters using our NSRI rescue craft.

Sadly despite all of the extensive efforts deployed the whale continued to beach and it was deemed, by the authorities, to be no longer viable to save.

Earlier this morning morning marine authorities, assisted by the SA Police Services, humanely euthanised the whale.

Samples of the whale have been collected by marine scientists for necropsy at the Port Elizabeth Museum.

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