PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - With the breathtaking sights of visiting whales during the colder months along the Plettenberg Bay coast, sometimes also comes tragedy with stranding incidents – two of which occurred over the past week.
The first incident involved a southern right whale calf that washed up along Keurbooms Beach below the Forest Hall area last week.
Marine mammal scientist Dr Gwenith Penry said the 6,7m calf was only a few weeks old when it ended on the local beach.
While a necropsy was carried out, Penry said they could not definitively establish the cause of death.
"The animal did however have scars on its flippers and tail from killer whale teeth. It is possible that there was an attempted predation and the animal got separated from its mother. We can't say for sure that that was the cause of death," Penry said.
The second incident happened on Saturday 9 September when a dwarf sperm whale washed up on Nature's Valley Beach.
A southern right whale calf washed up on Keurboomstrand.
This whale was about 2,5m long – an average size for an adult of this species. "They are deep sea animals and are rarely seen alive, but they strand fairly often along our coastline."
Penry said as with the first incident, the cause of death could not be determined. "There were no obvious injuries or illnesses present."
In both cases samples were taken from the animals by the Marine Stranding Network's permitted agents.
The specimens would be sent to the Bayworld Museum in Gqeberha for further analysis.
Whales often beach along the Plettenberg Bay coastline. Just a few months ago, a pygmy sperm whale ended up in the Poortjies lagoon.
This particular animal could however be rescued and was assisted into deeper waters.
One of the most tragic stranding incidents in recent history was when a killer whale washed up on Lookout Beach in 2015.
Scars believed to have been caused by a killer whale were found on the flippers of the southern right whale calf that washed up on Keurboomstrand.
The whale got separated from its pod and became unwell. It was too weak to hunt and therefore fed in shallow waters, resulting in a stomach full of rubbish including yoghurt pots, the sole of a shoe and wrappers.
Some rare and strange species of whales have also ended up on Plettenberg Bay's beaches, including a Longman's beaked whale found on Keurbooms Beach in 2002.
A southern right whale calf washed up on Keurboomstrand.
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