A 14-metre humpback whale washed up on Strandfontein Beach at the weekend.
The whale appeared to have been dead for a few days and its cause of death was unknown, said the City of Cape Town.
Fadiel Hermans, 48, of Westridge, was driving along Baden Powell Drive with his daughter Ateeyah, 15, and son Baariq, 11, at about 4pm on Saturday when they encountered congestion in the road and noticed law enforcement officers down on the beach next to the whale carcass in the shallows.
“The whale already had a stench so we assumed it may have died by the time we reached it. Everyone was amazed when they saw the carcass, there were about 10 to 15 cars pulled off to see the whale,” Mr Hermans said.
Mr Hermans said his children had been excited to see the enormous sea creature. It had been their first close encounter with a beached whale, he said.
The City’s water and waste directorate removed the whale on Sunday morning and hauled it to the Vissershok landfill.