A 30m southern right whale carcass has been spotted offshore near Capricorn Beach in Cape Town, the city’s disaster management centre said on Sunday.

“The whale carcass is approximately three kilometres past Sunrise Circle after Capricorn Beach and can been seen from Baden Powell Drive,” said spokesperson Wilfred Solomons-Johannes.

“It has been established that the whale has been bitten several times by great white sharks, and the bay is covered in a lot of blood and pieces of blubber are afloat at sea.”

He said the city has ordered that the shoreline between Muizenberg and Monwabisi beaches be closed to the general public as a precautionary measure.

“The shark spotters are constantly monitoring any sightings of sharks along the False Bay coastline. The city is appealing to all water users to be vigilant at this time, obey the shark siren, and to take note of the shark spotters' flags and signage for regular updates on shark sightings.”

He said the rapid response teams would attempt to recover the carcass at first light on Monday.

“Beach users are advised that the general caution will remain in place until further notice,” he said. - Sapa