Durban - Holiday-makers travelling to the South Coast are warned that swimming at Uvongo and St Michael’s beaches has been banned indefinitely due to heightened shark activity in the area.
Popular holiday destination Margate Beach is open for bathing, however the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board has warned bathers to stay in shallow water and within visibility of the lifeguards on duty.
The increase in shark activity started last week after a Humpback whale beached at Shelly Beach last Saturday.
According to the KZN Marine Stranding Network, the adult Humpback whale was already dead when it came ashore.
In a Facebook post, the network said that skin and blubber samples were taken together with a number of barnacles.
The removal of the carcass is the responsibility of the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, although residents in the area had been illegally cutting meat from the carcass.
The spokesperson for the KZN Sharks Board, Harry Mbambo, yesterday said that the whale carcass was still being removed by the municipality.
“There is strictly no swimming at Uvongo and St Michael’s because of evidence that sharks are feeding on pieces of whale meat in the vicinity,” he said.
Mbambo warned bathers to adhere to all instructions from the lifeguards at Margate Beach.
Ugu South Coast Tourism chief executive Phelisa Mangcu said the closure of the beaches was unfortunate, but that the safety of visitors was more important.
“While people cannot go to these particular beaches, there are other beaches and areas that they can explore,” she said.
“The South Coast has a lot to offer for entertainment and adventure and we encourage holiday-makers to explore these alternatives.”