A BEACHED whale was blown up in front of horrified children yesterday after rescuers failed to get it back into deep water. Onlookers watched as explosives were strapped behind the 10-metre Southern Right whale's head and detonated, killing it instantly. Many of them shouted insults at police as the whale died. | SPLAT! "Damm, I just washed that car! What's good for removing whale guts from leather seats?" |
Later, officials in South Africa defended the way the beast was killed on a beach near Cape Town. Carol Esmosas, of the Department of Tourism, said explosives were recommended for such cases by the International Whaling Commission. Other options, such as shooting the whale or injecting it with drugs, were considered riskier and more painful for the animal.
Dozens of local people and rescue workers had spent the night trying to get the whale back into the sea. But by daybreak the high tide had washed it further up the beach, where it became stuck on sand and was clearly suffering, officials said. The whale was either sick or had just became trapped. |