Images of people slaughtering a whale carcass that washed up on the rocks near Schulphoek in Hermanus went viral last week, causing some to react with outrage while others were concerned about the possible health risks.
Others saw a more comic side to this, describing the meat as township sushi while others jokingly offered whale chops and steaks for sale.
People armed with sharp knives quickly descended on the Bryde’s whale when it washed ashore last Tuesday (17 May), deftly cutting it up into smaller pieces.
Overstrand Deputy Mayor Lindile Ntsabo quickly responded by warning people not to eat the meat of the dead whale as consuming the rotting meat and blubber could well result in food poisoning.
Scientists of the Overberg Stranding Network could not confirm the cause of death as there wasn’t enough of the carcass left to take samples from.
Rumours also circulated some residents who ate some of the whale meat had actually landed up in hospital. According to Roche Butler, Communications Officer of the Western Cape Health Department, there were no cases of food poisoning in Hermanus. “We can confirm we had zero confirmed cases of food poisoning at Hermanus Hospital or Hermanus CDC at the time the whale was consumed last week,” she said.
“A small number of people visited Hermanus CDC saying they did not feel well after eating the whale meat, but they did not have food poisoning.”
