- Three Humpback whale carcasses have been found along the False Bay coast this month, sparking public curiosity.
- Scientists attribute the strandings to the thriving whale population and seasonal migration patterns.
- Despite the carcasses, experts confirm that Humpback whale numbers are at their highest in decades.
The third carcass of a Humpback whale found along the False Bay coast in less than a month, is nothing to panic about scientists say.
On Sunday 17 November, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) assisted the City of Cape Town (CoCT) Marine Animal Stranding Network with the removal of a Humpback whale carcass found adrift offshore of Slangkop Lighthouse in Kommetjie.
In a statement, NSRI Hout Bay station commander Spencer Oldham confirmed a whale carcass was removed over the weekend.
READ | Whale scientists investigate humpback carcass found in Cape Town
“The NSRI rescue craft Albie Matthews and Nadine Gordimer were launched and the whale carcass was towed by NSRI Hout Bay to the Hout Bay harbour slipway where the carcass was removed on Sunday.”
Meanwhile in a social media post on Friday 8 November, Allison Thomson commented that another dead humpback was found at the Simon’s Town harbour.
“Sad sight this morning,” she wrote. “A dead Humpback whale floating above the sunken wreck of the Cable Restorer in Simon’s Town- hoping that it never died entangled in the mess of ropes floating above the wreck. This mess needs to be sorted out.”
In a separate incident, the carcass of a juvenile Humpback whale washed up on Long Beach in Simon’s Town on Tuesday 15 October (“Stay away from whales,” People’s Post, 22 October 2024).
Large number
According to scientists from the Mammal Research Institute (MRI) Whale Unit, who were present at two scenes, there is currently a large number of Humpback whales offshore.
Chris Wilkinson from the MRI Whale Unit says the Humpback whale population is doing very well.
“I’m not surprised because there are so many whales around,” he commented. “Humpback whale numbers are doing very well, currently we are in Yzerfontein where there are groups of 60 to 80 whales together.”
The causes of the deaths are undetermined but could be anything.
“Unfortunately they are coming in close to boats and interacting in shipping lanes, it could be anything. The South Easter blows the carcasses inshore, so when the whale dies it gets blown into the harbour. So we may be seeing more remains because of a combination of high numbers of Humpback whales currently offshore and strong winds,” said Wilkinson.
He added that the Humpack population is growing very fast, considering its past of being hunted.
“The Humpback population is excellent. In the past, the whales were hunted and it has taken 30 years for it to be almost back to their normal numbers.”
He urged the public not to be concerned with the recent whale carcasses found.
“I think it is just a coincidence with the high whale numbers we are seeing, there is just a lot more whales around,” said Wilkinson.
“Humpback whales are migrating back from their breeding grounds and coming past our shores now to go back and feed in the Antarctic, so we are expecting Humpback strandings now, it’s just evidence that the whales are around.”
He added that the public can look out for “supergroups” of whales that can be seen off Yzerfontein, Noordhoek and Sea Point.
