Carcass of whale buried in sand dune

THE carcass of a Bryde’s whale that washed up on a beach in Wilderness last week was yesterday buried in a sand dune due to fears that towing it out to sea would attract sharks.

Authorities suspect the adult male washed ashore on the Kleinkrantz beach between George and Knysna on Friday due to old age.

Garden Route National Park manager Paddy Gordon said the reason marine mammals beached themselves remained a mystery.

“It could be related to old age, human interference, diseases – but when there is a beached animal in the park, SANParks will call in its own specialists and external experts.

“The decision to not throw the carcass back to sea is to ensure it does not attract sharks, which pose a danger to bathers.” – Gareth Wilson