Pieter Greyling jnr
A 2.7 metre long immature dwarf sperm whale has been euthanased by Bayworld staff after being washed up close to St George's Strand east of Bluewater Bay.
Dr Greg Hofmeyer of Bayworld says they received a call from concerned members of the public early on Tuesday morning and responded to the scene.
Dr Hofmeyer told AlgoaFM News that they found the animal weak and injured and in consultation with a vet and the department of environmental affairs made the call to end the whale's suffering in a humane manner.
He commended the public for making contact via Bayworld's Stranding hotline, rather than try and return the whale to the ocean themselves.
"These animals often strand for a reason as there's often something wrong with them," said Dr Hofmeyer.
"So, pushing them back into the sea does not really help because what happens is they roll around in the breakers and start breathing in water and half drown. So the best thing to do is to phone us and we will give instructions on how to proceed."
He said they would now take samples from the dwarf sperm whale to determine why it came ashore.
Bayworld's Stranding Hotline number is 071 734 3132 and should be used if members of the public come across any kind of sea animal that has beached itself.
