A WHALE OF A JOB
POSTED 05 NOVEMBER 2005
WRITTEN BY PEARLY BEACH ONLINE
PHOTOS © OTTO DUENNEBACKE & PEARLY BEACH ONLINE

Towards the end of September, a 13.8 metre Southern Right whale carcass drifted into Romansbaai, near Gansbaai, where it played havoc with the water intake of one of the Danger Point perlemoen farms there. In response to calls for help, Marine and Coastal Management organised for the whale to be towed out towards Dyer Island and be anchored there.

WASHED UP WEST OF BLUEWATER BAY, PEARLY BEACH

Shark-cage divers were treated to the rare sight of Great White's feeding on the carcass. Some of these sharks were up to 5 metres in length. After a few days, however, the carcass broke loose, and washed up just west of Bluewater Bay in Pearly Beach.

The decomposing whale was left there until the weekend of 29 October, when a team of workers, under the supervision of a taxidermist, came to remove the whalebones for future exhibit. Some of the vertebrae were crushed, and a few nose bones were missing, leading to the assumption that the whale, a female, was hit by a ship.

ALL THAT REMAINED WAS A PUDDLE OF ROTTING FLESH

Initially, a hole had to be dug to throw the rotten blubber into, but the bulldozer driver misunderstood, and ended up burying the whale. After exhuming it, the team, wearing protective gear, methodically removed the flesh with knives in order to get to the skeleton.

The larger-than-life bones have now been taken to Cape Town where they will undergo a two-year treatment to remove the remaining flesh. This will include them being placed in giant baths of digestive enzymes. After drying it, the experienced team of taxidermists will put the skeleton together with steel rods.

What is left of the whale will be buried where it is (for the second time) along with the smell. The seagulls won't be too pleased though, as they seemed to be enjoying the mountainous feast!

And after all that, may she finally rest in peace.