Second Humpback Calf Whale washed up on KwaZulu-Natal shores in a week

October 17 2011 at 10:01am

Lungelo Mkamba

TWO men trying to save a humpback whale trapped in rocks at Port Edward at the weekend had to be rescued when they nearly drowned in the attempt.

The whale was freed by a high tide on Saturday. However, it beached later and its carcass was found by conservation rangers yesterday morning.

A humpback whale calf lies in rocks at Grannies Pool in Port Edward on Saturday. The whale was freed from the rocks at high tide, but was found dead yesterday

National Sea Rescue Institute Port Edward duty controller Alan Stiller said they had responded on Saturday afternoon after reports of a whale calf being trapped at Grannies Pool.

“On arrival at the scene, there was a large crowd of bystanders trying to help the juvenile humpback whale,” said Stiller.

“It was decided to launch our sea rescue craft to return to the scene, as high tide approached, and attempts would be made to use the craft from the sea side to free the whale.”

However the situation “escalated”, with reports that two of the men involved in rescuing the whale had been swept out to sea by rip currents.

But when the rescue craft arrived at the scene, the men had already been rescued by two friends.

“All four of the men were later transported to hospital for observation,” said Stiller.

Meanwhile, the stranded whale had been freed from the rocks by the incoming tide.

But its carcass was found washed up yesterday morning at Port Edward.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife official Wayne Munger said he expected the carcass to be removed from the shore today.

This was the second whale to wash up on KwaZulu-Natal shores in a week.

The carcass of a young humpback whale, about a year old, beached at Umhlanga Rocks in front of The Pearls development last week.

iol.co.za

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