Overstrand Municipality is currently assisting Cape Nature with the burial of a whale carcass that washed ashore at Die Plaat Beach, between Hermanus and De Kelders, on Wednesday, 1 July 2026.
The whale was identified as a 23-metre female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the second-largest whale species in the world after the blue whale. Fin whales can grow up to 27 metres in length and weigh more than 70 tonnes.
The species is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List following historical population declines caused by industrial whaling.
Meredith Thornton, National Stranding Co-ordinator for the South African Stranding Network, received a report from Jason Stafford (Ivanhoe Sea Safaris) to say that he discovered the whale floating in Walker Bay. The NSRI were contacted to see if they could tow the carcass closer to Die Plaat to ensure that it would not wash up in a residential area, and a decision was made to let it come ashore naturally. The next morning, Dave Caravais (Fat Bike Tours), came across the whale on the beach and reported it to the stranding network.
A sincere thank you to the Dyer island Conservation Trust and the Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit who attended the scene to collect biological samples, take measurements and photos as part of the scientific response to this rare fin whale stranding. This work is conducted under a permit from Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, as part of the Whale Unit’s work on cetaceans in South Africa.
According to Wilfred Chivell of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, this is the first recorded fin whale stranding in the Greater Dyer Island area.
Strandings in the greater Overberg area are managed through a collaborative response involving CapeNature, DFFE, Dyer Island Conservation Trust, the University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit, the NSRI, Overberg District Municipality and Overstrand Municipality, whale watching companies and several other NGO’s. The area extends from Rooiels in the west to Stilbaai in the east.
Members of the public who discover stranded animals along the coastline are urged not to approach or disturb the animal. Instead, report it by contacting the Overstrand Municipality on 028 313 8111 and asking for the Environmental Management Section, or by sending a WhatsApp to 0827465579. They should send a photo, locality pin and estimated size/length of the animal.
