Post-mortems on whales

2009-06-01 12:00

Attemps to save beached whales on Kommetjie beach, in the Western Cape, have failed. (Schalk van Zuydam, AP)

Cape Town - Post-mortems began on Monday on some of the 44 false killer whales which were euthanised after being stranded on a beach near Cape Town, a government official said.

"We're busy with them at the moment. It's very difficult to talk at the moment because I'm full of things," said marine and coastal management scientist Mike Meyer.

On Saturday morning 55 whales were stranded on Kommetjie Beach in the Western Cape. Volunteers and officials worked in the cold water to try to save them.

The bad weather and rough sea prevented the whales - which weigh about 1.5 tons each - from successfully swimming away, and many re-stranded themselves further down the shore.

Humane option

By Saturday night, government officials and volunteers said it had become clear the whales would not survive the night and euthanasia was the only humane option.

Samples from the whales had been taken and were being examined to provide some insight into why the whales beached.

"We'll only be finished later in the day and then we may have some answers then," said Meyer.

However, he cautioned these would only be early results and that testing and examinations of the whale samples might only be completed in the days to come.

- SAPA