A significant portion of the South African coastline has been temporarily closed to the public due to the presence of a massive 15-meter-long whale that washed ashore following an encounter with great white sharks.
The stranded whale was carefully retrieved from the waves after it attracted a substantial number of great white sharks to the vicinity of Muizenberg Beach, near Cape Town, this past Sunday.
In response to this unusual situation, authorities swiftly removed the southern right whale from the beach, and as a precautionary measure, a stretch of coastline from Muizenberg to Monwabisi has been temporarily closed.
Upon turning over the whale with the help of bulldozers, evident signs of shark feeding were visible on various parts of its body.
The rescue team can be seen carrying the lifeless giant with the aid of a harness, a challenging task given that this species of whale can weigh as much as 47 tons.
Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, the spokesperson for Cape Town’s Center for Disaster Risk Management, explained, “The decision to initiate the recovery operation was made promptly due to an increased presence of sharks in the waters off the beaches along the Fagge Bay coast.”
Despite the warning, the public’s curiosity remained unabated, with many people flocking to the site to witness the unusual occurrence.
Efforts were made by workers to relocate the carcasses of the stranded whales on Muizenberg Beach.