CAPE TOWN - Beachgoers have been welcomed back to Clifton beaches in Cape Town after the nine-metre humpback whale carcass was removed on Tuesday.
The City of Cape Town (CoCT) took to Twitter on Tuesday to report the successful joint operation between SANParks and several City directorates in removing the humpback carcass that washed ashore on Clifton 4th beach in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
“All of the beaches at Clifton are now open again to the public and for bathing,” the City went on to state.
“The carcass was removed from the sea with the help of a large vessel at high tide. It was towed off the beach to the Oceana Power Boat Club where it was loaded and is now being transported to the Vissershok landfill,” the City adds.
Earlier on Tuesday, the City urged beachgoers to keep clear of the area, a precautionary measure as the carcass might have attracted predators to the beaches waters.
Nevertheless, road users along the N1, which is a part of the 32km journey from Clifton 4th to Vissershok landfill, were able to witness the humpback whale carcass strapped to a truck in the afternoon.
The cause of death is believed to be natural, although it remains uncertain at this stage.
A humpback whale carcass of a similar size was washed up on the rocks at Sea Point in early December, IOL previously reported.
Instead of transporting December’s whale carcass to a landfill, officials towed the carcass out to sea before sinking it.
A large pod of humpback whales has been visiting the Mother City along the Atlantic Seaboard since November 2021.
IOL