A Close Look at the 14-Foot Pilot Whale Stranded in Simon’s Town

On the morning of 19 December 2024, a female pilot whale measuring approximately 4.2 meters (14 feet) was discovered stranded on Frank’s Beach, situated in Simon’s Town’s scenic Murdoch Valley. This unfortunate event unfolded as the sun rose over Cape Town’s coastline, drawing attention to the delicate balance of marine life in the region.

While the stranding of a single whale is always distressing, there is some solace in knowing that it was not a mass stranding, a phenomenon that has previously devastated Cape Town’s shores.