Cape Town - A 13-metre long whale carcass was towed away from a Cape Flats beach on Wednesday.
The Bryde's whale was spotted floating in the water at Sonwabi beach on Tuesday, but by Wednesday morning, authorities decided to tow the 10 000kg mammal out of the water after it drifted close to shore.
Sonwabi beach is located between Muizenberg and Strandfontein.
Curious people gathered to witness the enormous whale being dragged out of the sea and onto the white sand.
The City of Cape Town’s Gregg Oelofse said they took the decision to tow the carcass out at Sonwabi beach because the beach was easily accessible for the tow-truck.
“The vehicles we used to pick up the whale are large so we needed a beach close by that is easily accessible and remote," he said.
“There was a big parking lot for our vehicles, so it was ideal."
“The whale was dead in the water since Tuesday so it wasn’t a beached whale."
“We allowed it to drift to shore overnight which made it easier for our team to remove it.”
Oelofse said the cause of death is unknown. There were large chunks of flesh missing at the whale’s tail side, and it’s huge tongue was swollen.
“We can’t tell the cause of death, but the carcass will be disposed off at Vissershok landfill,” he concludes.