A 40-ton sperm whale carcass that had gone “missing” did not deter hundreds of bathers who defied “Beach Closed” signs to swim in dirty, stinking water at Eastern Beach.
Hours after Buffalo City Metro marine services had struggled to remove the remains of the mammal and failed in its bid, the sea swept in and seemingly solved the problem.
On Friday afternoon BCM brought in a large tow truck and 20 men, hoping to drag the whale off the beach, onto the truck and off to the King William’s Town waste site. They failed. Yesterday, BCM chief of marine services Siani Tinley said remains from the carcass had spilt into the surf, making it unsafe and unhealthy for bathing.
However, more than 1000 people were packed into the surf, ignoring signage indicating the beach was closed. No lifeguard warning flags were planted in the sand, yet children and adults continued to enjoy their fun in the sun.
One BCM lifeguard on the beach, who asked not to be named said there were many signs put up along the beach.
“We have tried to warn people not to get into the water because of the whale which we cannot locate, but it is obviously somewhere in the water and if you notice in front of Sugar Shack backpackers, the water is dirty and there is a thick stench throughout the beach.”
“We have also been instructed not to work or save anybody, because technically nobody is supposed to be swimming, although we could never watch on as somebody struggles in the water,” he said.
The lifeguard was worried that the presence of the whale in the water could attract sharks to the shallow parts where people were swimming.
Monwabisi Bhengu, who was bathing with his family of four, said he had not noticed any signage and was unaware of the whale story, but assumed the stench came from the many people at the beach.
“If there is a real danger at the beach, I think the municipality would have completely closed off the beach. I haven’t seen this signage you are talking about,” he said. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
Whale carcass fails to deter eager bathers
Hours after Buffalo City Metro marine services had struggled to remove the remains of the mammal and failed in its bid, the sea swept in and seemingly solved the problem.
On Friday afternoon BCM brought in a large tow truck and 20 men, hoping to drag the whale off the beach, onto the truck and off to the King William’s Town waste site. They failed. Yesterday, BCM chief of marine services Siani Tinley said remains from the carcass had spilt into the surf, making it unsafe and unhealthy for bathing.
However, more than 1000 people were packed into the surf, ignoring signage indicating the beach was closed. No lifeguard warning flags were planted in the sand, yet children and adults continued to enjoy their fun in the sun.
One BCM lifeguard on the beach, who asked not to be named said there were many signs put up along the beach.
“We have tried to warn people not to get into the water because of the whale which we cannot locate, but it is obviously somewhere in the water and if you notice in front of Sugar Shack backpackers, the water is dirty and there is a thick stench throughout the beach.”
“We have also been instructed not to work or save anybody, because technically nobody is supposed to be swimming, although we could never watch on as somebody struggles in the water,” he said.
The lifeguard was worried that the presence of the whale in the water could attract sharks to the shallow parts where people were swimming.
Monwabisi Bhengu, who was bathing with his family of four, said he had not noticed any signage and was unaware of the whale story, but assumed the stench came from the many people at the beach.
“If there is a real danger at the beach, I think the municipality would have completely closed off the beach. I haven’t seen this signage you are talking about,” he said. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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