A large dead humpback washed ashore in South Africa. Image. Rod Penrose/BBC
Christmas wasn’t exactly what holiday beachgoers were expecting in Cape Town, South Africa. The Strand Beach, just east of Cape Town, turned into a stinky stretch of sand when a humpback whale measuring nearly 50 feet washed up.
The beach has been closed until the massive carcass can be removed, as there are concerns that it might attract sharks. So far, two sharks have have been sighted in the area, which is to be expected. “The immediate area around the whale carcass has been cordoned off and this area is closed to members of the public … The blood and debris from the carcass can attract sharks to the area,” said the city of Cape Town in a statement.
Great whites, among other species of sharks, are commonly sighted off the waters of Cape Town. It is not clear how the humpback died, but authorities are investigating.
