Dead orca washes up in Yzerfontein: Is is Port or Starboard?

A TikTok video posted earlier this week of a dead orca that was discovered washed up on a beach in Yzerfontein has sparked speculation.

A TikTok video posted earlier this week of a dead orca that was discovered washed up on a beach in Yzerfontein has sparked speculation. Image via X @SeafariApp

A TikTok video posted earlier this week of a dead orca that was discovered washed up on a beach in Yzerfontein has sparked widespread speculation.

Viewers wondering if the deceased orca could be one of the notorious killer whales known as Port or Starboard.

These two orcas have garnered attention in recent years due to their hunting behaviour along South Africa’s coastline.

Port and Starboard – named for the sides of a ship – have been frequently spotted hunting various species of sharks, from Namibia’s coast all the way to Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.

Their hunting technique has been deemed ‘unusual’ considering it involves targeting sharks, a behaviour not commonly observed among orca pods.

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Port and Starboard have been spotted frequently in the waters of False Bay where they have been observed hunting near the shoreline late at night.

The discovery of the dead orca in Yzerfontein has naturally fuelled speculation as to the ongoing mystery surrounding these two predators.

While some locals have speculated that the deceased orca could be one of the duo, there has been no confirmation as at the time of publishing.

The South African website will update readers should the identity of the dead orca be revealed.

@girlonthego75 Found this dead orca washed up on the beach in Yzerfontein earlier today. So sad… 😞 #westerncape #yzerfontein #weskus #southafrica #westcoast #Orca ♬ original sound – Girl-on-the-go!!