Marine biologists on Wednesday decided to blow up the skull of a beached whale at Mnandi beach along False Bay after numerous attempts to refloat it failed.
Marine and Coastal Management spokesperson Mike Meyer said the explosive charge did not blow the juvenile southern right whale ”to smithereens” but imploded the skull.
He said the whale, about two years old, 10m long and weighing close to 11 tonnes, had beached in a shallow area after apparently making a navigational error.
During the breeding season, these whales, which are commonly seen along the South African coastline, come close to shore.
”In this case, the animal made a mistake … it wasn’t a sick animal, it went too close to shore and got caught out.”
Meyer said after a ship could not get close enough to shore to try to help move the whale, ropes were tied around the whale and manpower used in an attempt to move the behemoth.
However, fading light on Tuesday prevented any success, as the whale dug itself deeper into the sand.
”We tried everything to get it out of the hole, but it was extremely dangerous … if one got caught under [the whale], one would drown,” said Meyer.
By Wednesday, the whale was so firmly embedded, with about a third of its girth in sand, that scientists could not even tell its sex.
He said the weight of the plankton-feeder was another factor to be considered, as its own weight caused blood restrictions and decomposition.
Meyer said an explosive charge was considered to be the best option to put the animal out of its misery, because ”litres” of drugs would have been needed if it was to be injected by lethal concoction.
Also, a special heavy-calibre rifle, designed in New Zealand, would have been needed to shoot and penetrate the blubber as well as the skull, should this option have been considered.
Meyer said ”one or two” people were unhappy with the decision to use the explosive device, even though this was the best option.
The City of Cape Town was expected to remove the carcass, using heavy machinery.
If however, the carcass was inaccessible, it would be cut up. — Sapa