Beached whale dead

The Southern Right whale stranded this morning at Danger Beach has died.

The carcass has been towed off the beach by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), and scientists were able to get tissue samples for testing, according to the Save our Seas Foundation.

Kevin Baker, operations manager of the Save Our Seas Shark Centre said the 8m long whale washed up last night and was probably sickly. "It was already weak by the time we got to it."

It could have died of exposure, he said. It died soon after reports that the whale was stranded started circulating on Twitter and Facebook.

Volunteers turned up to keep the whale wet, but efforts were in vain. "The tide was going out" according to Baker, "and it beached to a shallow area so no-one could get it off the beach."

The carcass is currently being taken to the Department of Environmental Affairs' Ocean and Coastal branch for analysis, research and probably an autopsy, said Craig Lambimon of the NSRI.