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Coastal Shark Alert

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Whale Carcass
Whale carcass lying on Anne Avenue Beach, St Francis Bay, Thursday 27th October. Photo: Johan Barnard – TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Harbour Master

A whale carcass is believed to have brought an increased shark presence to the Eastern Cape coastline between Oyster Bay and Jeffreys Bay and the NSRI are urging the public to be cautious due to an apparent increased shark presence along the Eastern Cape coastline.

A whale carcass that washed up on Anne Avenue Beach on the St Francis Bay coastline (originally found floating off-shore of Jeffreys Bay on Wednesday afternoon 26 October) is believed to have caused a larger than normal shark presence in the area.

Sharks were spotted in the vicinity of the Krom River and Anne Avenue Beach, off-shore of St Francis Bay, close in-shore, over the past few days and their perceived increased presence is believed to be directly related to the whale carcass that beached on Thursday and which was then subsequently towed out to sea on Friday.

Bathers, paddlers, divers, sail boarders are urged to be cautious.

On Friday, 28 October,  NSRI St Francis Bay trainee crew member Mark White (who is also a saturation diver) and his friend, local Cody Futeran, in their private capacity, assisted Disaster Management who were tasked to remove the whale carcass from the beach.

The whale carcass, of a 15 meter Southern Right Whale, originally located by NSRI St Francis Bay floating off-shore of Jeffreys Bay on Wednesday afternoon, had drifted and beached by Thursday morning at Anne Avenue Beach, St Francis Bay.

Disaster Management were arranging for the removal of the whale carcass from the beach on Friday.

Mark and Cody assisted Disaster Management by securing the whale carcass into a bridal and rope and using their private jet-ski they transported one end of the rope to the Chokka fishing boat Sparadon (positioned behind the breaker line at Anne Avenue Beach) and Sparadon, at high tide on Friday afternoon, towed the whale carcass off the beach and out to the deep sea where it was released for natural disposal.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.