Authorities have decided to bury the carcass of a rare female Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus).
The whale beached between Hermanus and De Kelders, on Wednesday, 1 July 2026.
It is about 23-metres long, making it the the second-largest whale species in the world after the blue whale.
The Overstrand Municipality said it is assisting Cape Nature with the burial at Die Plaat Beach.
The Municipality also said Meredith Thornton, the National Stranding Coordinator of the South African Stranding Network, received a report from Jason Stafford (Ivanhoe Sea Safaris), who first spotted the whale floating at 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.
Wilfred Chivell of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, confirmed this stranding as the first ever recorded in the Greater Dyer Island area.
The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List following historical population declines caused by industrial whaling.
Picture: Supplied