In Cape Town, we shoot whales?

On 30th May 2009, pilot whales beached in Kommetjie, Cape Town. Volunteers turned some back, but eventually the authorities stepped in. Was the response of the authorities appropriate and kind, or did they act a little too roughly, too soon?
In Scotland, they did it differently. No shooting, and most of the whales returned, alive...
How we should have done it:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/9760276

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• cape town
• cape peninsula
• south africa
• mass beaching
• pilot whales beach
• kommetjie

[Daz1250]

Just let me be clear to start with and say that I'm not pro shooting anything. But these whales must weigh a Ton, and to move them is almost impossible, but more than that the whale is suffocating under its own body mass. Without water keep the whale buoyant, the weight of its own body is killing it, crushing its own organs. It was late in the afternoon and they had been there all day. My guess is it would have been a vets call to end the suffering as they were dying anyway. Sometime life sucks.

[nalydsemaj]

The whales were killing themselves slowly, some whales after being returned to the ocean beached themselves up to ten times. Shooting them was the last resort. You cant stop a whale from beach itself continuesly, shooting them was the only option. Rather put them out of their misery!!

[5321jerry]

How do u free a beached whale? If there was no other way to free them I certainly believe in shooting them. Its better than the alternative which is suffocating.

[jimguy08]

horrific. I can't believe this guy caught the actual shots on camera. absolutely horrific. why can't south africa have better preparedness and protocols for dealing with beached whales like other countries do?

[km72123]

Everyone that stood there watching..is just as guitly..they might as well have pulled the trigger

Cape Town will pay for this....

Everything in life has consequences..

If the stiuation was too sensitive for the kids....then all know it was wrong and it should not have been done...

Why try to hide it? GUILT??????

I thought our waters ran red for far too long........and still they run red

People never forget.......................

[MistyRionach]

And the water runs red with the blood of the innocent....

[earthluvr]

Sad to watch people desperately trying to save the whales; more sad to watch the police alternative to the problem (shooting them point blank) I don't understand the reason for the shooting unless it was to euthanize them since they were obviously weakened to the point of no return. Or were they?The people trying to save them give me hope that there are still good people who care about our world's animals. The police only enforced the fact that our governments' only want the easy way out...

[bl49120]

A lot more of these whales could have been saved if they hadn't chosen to shoot them instead. How horrible!  People were desperately trying to save them, and could have. What butchers down there.

[ms80749]

I thought the film was really good and gave a perspective that the news did not

[TheMickyspicer]

not cool..not cool at all!!!