Umhlanga beach closed due to whale carcass

Posted by Imogen Searra on 14 October 2019

On Sunday 13 October a carcass of a humpback whale washed up onto Umhlanga beach, about 100m form the lighthouse. Swimmers have been barred from entering the water, as authorities fear that the carcass may attract sharks.

Speaking to Times Live, metro police director Steve Edwards said that sometimes these animals make their way to shore when they are sick. ‘For them to breath they need to be moving,’ he said.

The beach has been closed until the carcass has been removed.

KwaZulu-Natal metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parbhoo Sewpersadh spoke to News24 and said that the carcass will be cut up into pieces and removed from the beach.

The animal is believed to have been a young whale, weighing between 4-6 tons, according to News24.

Image: Swasti Singh

A humpback whale carcass washed up on Umhlanga beach on Sunday morning. Video: Swasti Singh pic.twitter.com/EBeyHWjRHV

— Getaway Magazine (@GetawayMagazine) October 14, 2019