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Mass Whale Stranding

June 01 2009.It was carnage and tragedy as 55 false killer whales beached at Long Beach on Saturday 30 May.

Kommetjie residents woke up the horror of 58 false killer whales lying writhing on the sand at Long Beach. Photo: Cassie Carstens

Slowly, shocked onlookers gathered around the stricken creatures. Photo: Cassie Carstens

The four metre whales weighed a ton, and rescue teams found it impossible to make headway. Photo: Ross Frylink

No matter how hard they tried, rescue teams found themselves going backwards as the tide drained out. Photo: Charles Didcott

The emotional strain, coupled with extreme exertion, was exhausting. Photo: Ross Frylinck

Finding it impossible to get the whales into deep water, all they could do was keep the whales calm and wet. Photo: Ross Frylinck

The wetsuit clad crowd did everything they could, but these creatures did not want to go back to sea. Photo: Ross Frylinck

Even when they got the whales through the shorebreak to the backline, they just turned and came right back. Photo: Charles Didcott

Everyone tried their best, but to no avail. Photo: Charles Didcott

The end result was inevitable, no matter how hard they tried. Photo: Ross Frylinck

The officials arrived and told the desparate crowd that euthanising the animals was the only way out. Photo: Ross Frylinck

The whales were shot by police carrying rifles, and dumped into council trucks. It was horrible. Photo: Charles Didcott

An ignominious way to go, from the cool flow of fluid motion to the rattle of a metal death. Photo: Charles Didcott