During the early hours of Saturday morning some forty pilot whales beached themselves on Long Beach in Kommetjie, Cape Town.  It was only a matter of minutes from first sighting by local residents that word got out and volunteers from all over the Cape Peninsula were in the icy waters trying to help the whales out of the shallows.

At first, the chances of saving the whales seemed possible, as volunteers successfully manoeuvred a number of whales into deep enough water that they could swim to safety. But with a heavy surf break and strong wind and currents, the exhausted whales seemed to lack the strength or will to make it out into the deep. Volunteers soon realised to their dismay that the whales were being washed down the coast and back onto the beach.

By midday National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), Marine and Costal Management (MCM) and Cape Nature Conservation along with the help of City of Cape Town Disaster Management and SA Police were on the beach working on a plan to save the whales.

Groups of six or more volunteers, some in wetsuits and others braving the icy water in nothing more than the clothes they arrived in, cared for the whales in the shallows under guidance from marine scientists at MCM. Digging the sand from around the whales bodies and shifting them from side to side to mininise internal organ damage from their weight.

By early afternoon all whales on the beach had been counted and formally tagged so that rescuers could assess whether any were managing to make it through the breakers or were rather washing back onto the beach. Sadly even when volunteers were able to move an animal into deeper water it seemed to turn back onto shore. Whether this was intentional or simply because the animal was exhausted and unable to battle the rough break is unclear – the cause of whale beaching events such as this one are still not fully understood by marine scientists.

As with any rescue operation time is of the essence. Unfortunately the whales had beached on high tide. And it would mean keeping the then alive until the next high tide in the late afternoon before any more rigorous attempts to pull the animals out into deeper water could be considered. The sea conditions were extremely rough and showed no signs of improving.

There was no lack of commitment from volunteers despite wind, rain and freezing temperatures. But as the day progressed the risk to volunteers was rising and the sustained trauma to the already exhausted whales meant that chances of returning the whales to safety on the next high tide were diminishing rapidly. Many young kids in the water helping to splash water over the animals were without wetsuits and at risk of hyperthermia if the rescue operation was to be continued into the evening.

By late afternoon marine scientist made the decision that the rescue attempts were only going to prolong the suffering of the beached whales and that the most humane action was euthanasia. A heart-wrenching and for some incomprehensible decision.

Marine scientists from MCM and University of Cape Town will be taking samples from the animals in an effort to better understand the causes of beaching events in the future.

Written by Sean Doel (Simply Green Magazine Editor)