Exploring an Old Whaling Station | Bluff - Durban | South Africa
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- čas přidán 20. 10. 2023
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During the 20th century there was a Whaling station located at the seaside town of the Bluff in Durban, South Africa. The station was used during 1907 to 1975. It has been almost 50 years since the closure of the station. I decided to do some exploring and took a trip to the old building to see what it looks like today.
Whaling is the hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD.
In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling because of the extreme depletion of most of the whales.
#exploring #history #whale
Hi dude! I never comment on CZcams videos. But I must now comment that I have been bingeing your videos the last few weeks and I really enjoy them. I like the content but also that you have a chill, laid-back vibe. I hope the algorithm finds you and you get more subscribers!
Hello, I am glad you are enjoying my videos and thank you for your kind words. Much appreciated 😀
Sumeran,
I really enjoyed your vid. You will see there are a few pieces of the railway line on your video. There are also some crossbars at the beer bottle. My late father build that line from Dbn harbour during the war time. From Dbn side you will also see the cutting on the mountain side that was dug for the railway line.
I was never there but my sister (now 83) saw the whaling station as a small kid round about 1948
Hi Neels thank you for sharing your story with us. I am glad to bring back some old memories for you.
Yes that walk is hell. My son took me there when I was 60 years old. Not for the faint hearted. I only made it to the buildings as my son wanted to walk to the end of the pier and let me tell you the walk to the end of the pier was even longer than the walk to the buildings. It was beautiful to see. The walk back was harder and OMG those millions of stairs. The people at the top could not believe my son took me there at my age. He convinced me by saying
. Ma it is not too far you can do it. We still laughed today as he himself could not believe how far it was to walk in that soft sand. 🤣🤣🤣Now I question him in detail when he invites me on an adventure. You can however drive down to the pump station and walk from there. We only found this out on our walk and past it. So sad to see how these army buildings have not been preserved.
lol yes that is one difficult walk, Thank you for sharing your funny story 😂 I never walked past the buildings as it was already tired. That walk back up all those stair was unbelievable, I had to talk a few breaks going back up to the road.
My late husband's grandfather ran the whaling station for many years. He and his family were from Norway.
Really felt like we were a part of the adventure
I've visited here myself and can definitely say its worth all the effort. Those stairs on the way UP though! Haha! Nice video.
Whaling was a bloody business and blood attracted large shoals of shad and sharks .The 2nd hole to right of bunker got the name sharks pool as a result of sharks .The Sadf built the fence in the middle of our favourite fishing Hole next to the WW2 bunker . Whales were winched off flatbed railway wagons and cut up in open area in middle you can see bunker on beach and remains of the old ash tip. They would dump blood and stuff from wheel barrow into sea ,so was a good fishing spot ,were many Indian fishermen there .
Thank you for sharing your experience of what it was like when it was in operation.
That what you saw @2:53 was probably the remains of the SADF perimeter security fencing. 1 Reconnaissance Regiment (special forces) were stationed up above, they had a shooting range not too far from where you were at the whaling station. In the days of SADF, they used to use the whaling station for exercises and the troops used to run around on that beach. I believe there were SAR&H buildings on the other side of the Bluff that they used for training too and the Recce's did plenty damage to them.
Those "things" you saw on the beach were concrete pill boxes for the defence of the Bluff during the 2nd World War. They weren't the only things, it was said there were big guns that came out on rails to shoot out to sea at ships and the Bluff had all these tunnels in it for military purposes.
I cant put the link in here but if you google "1 Reconnaissance Regiment / sasfheritage" you will see some photos of where 1 Reconnaissance Regiment was.
Hi Felix, Thank you for shedding some light on the things I was not aware of. I was not even aware of all these military stations here at the bluff.
@@SumeranGovender I think there is some kind of military hospital there now. 1 Reconnaissance Regiment pulled back to Pretoria and disbanded I believe. Had a bother in that mad regiment. I would have loved to see all those tunnels in the Bluff but not to be, I am living 1/2 around the world now.
Very nice video thanks for the informative content. Success to your channel
Thank you for watching Ameer. 😀
1960+-, when we were kids, we would walk there and ask for whales teeth.
The sea was red with blood. A distinct line separated sea water from blood
The whole Bluff stank when they cut the whales up after taking the whales off the trains
Hi Ivan, thank you for sharing your experience with us.
You are a very brave man to do this adventure and take care 😊😊❤
Thank you, I will
Awesome video, search a unique and interesting spot. Didn’t know Durban had a whaling station. Thanks for the entertaining content🔥
Glad you enjoyed the video 😁
The trek back up the stairs, yaaaarrrr
Can you imagine 😐
Tell me about it ! Yoh!
I went there as a child...caught the flatbed train trucks that carried the dead whales brought in by the whaling boats... theyd be hauled up a slipway at the station and men with long poles with scythe-like knives cut them up..cut the blubber off for the oil, then meat cut into chunks. One could buy whale meat to eat in those days (1960's). My sister and I were each given a whale tooth. It was sad to see the many little whaling boats with dead whales tied to their sides by their tails. Great when it stopped!
Thank you for sharing your story with us June.
Thanks Dude, this is great stuff, 4 us Gauteng landlubbers! 10/10
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is solid gold content, Sumeran! I have known about the whaling station for many years but never went in search of it. There are photographs and poetry about the place but now I have actually seen it. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you, Alan 😁
Great video bro! As a fellow dbnite I salute you! I’ve just subscribed ❤
Thanks for the sub and welcome 😁
Admire your determination in doing those stairs...salute
Thank you 😁
Nice video i wish to go there one day it must be cloudy and windy it's long walk it's dangerous stay safe
Thank you Shirley 😁
Top vid bud great content enjoying ur little adventures 😂😊
Thank you 😁
Top videos man how was the walk back up
Such a great and informative video! Thank you …great reminders of home ❤
“If you thinking about coming here, don’t come” 😂
Glad you enjoyed it! 😁
You so daring Sumeran
Thanks for the informative video 😅😅
Thanks for sharing,very informative video bru
My pleasure 🙏 thank you
Hi. The whales were brought into the harbour entrance and pulled up a slip way. They were loaded onto railway flat car coaches and taken around to the processing factory you showed. If you watch a good shark documentary film Blue Water White Death you will see some of the last footage of the whales being brought into the harbour.
Hi Ralph thanks for this information
Thank you for sharing 🤗
You are so welcome
@@SumeranGovender 🤗
Lovely videos Sumeran
Hi Sandra Thank you
Place is abandoned thanks for sharing brought back us to memory lane though it's a beach it should be the first priority
Awesome thanks
No problem! Glad you enjoyed the video
The maritime museum had a DVD that gave history of whaling union station was also primier station nearer the south pier.orginal steps to bunker were cement ,was also a path that ran diagonaly to station when was operational
Are you talking about the one in town?
I did this trip 5 months ago the walk back up is hectic
It was crazy, at least on the I went it was not hot but even so it was exhausting.
In case you didn’t realize. The reason people walk in or near the water on the beach, is because the sand is hard and it’s easier to walk on.
You a very interesting role model for exposed of the terror of the beach ,it should be secure and convenient also considering the beach every one loves to be at, many attacks took place with our family members at the bluff please tell us how is the sea point
I not sure if you will be able to do a video on this or if there is any information on this subject.. I m talking about the 2 unused rail lines in clairwood/Mobeni ( one is next to clairwood hospital and the other is further down on grimsby road / Higginson
I've tried ro find information about it like when was it used whatvwas it used for and when was it closed
However I could not find anything
We knew before Durban was a beautiful place why now so scary.....
Five Thousand Steps Going Up!
Lol yeah
Only 5000? Haha! Those stairs are KILLER!
Are you safe ,I must admit you very brave person videotaping the area please watch all sides if safe I'm scared it looks quite haunted once it was very beautiful with my late dad I was a little during that time
Interesting and informative video would like to visit however the concern is parking
Yes, you are right about the parking and it is a long walk especially coming back up the stairs.
Hi Dude I watched your video on the old buildings of the abandoned whaling station.
In 1961 I was fortunate to be taken by my Dads Cousin Stan Chaiken to see the whales being brought in on a train to the station and within a short while the whole whale was carved up by guys and the remains of the whale was pulled up on an enormous escalator inside the building.
Well my mother took cine footage which has subsequent been transferred onto a DVD.
I would love you to see the footage.
Hi thank you for sharing your story with me. Where are you from sir maybe we can try and get that footage.
it would be easier to drive to the lighthouse and down.the first section with white tiles was the process plant.the 2 concrete pillers used to be the point whales were pulled on rail trucks.
I tried using the army base, but they would not let me pass. Oh cool did you used to work there ?
Recce hangout ⚔️
It’s so sad to see all the litter on the beach
Did you go there alone? And is it not dangerous to go by yourself?
No, I had some family with me, but there were other people on the beach fishing.
What did the Anc did to assist to keep the beaches clean and safe from thugs, during apartheid regime it was beautiful and clean Durban was every one's main holiday spot with thier families not anymore.....
Whales were pulled out of the water in the harbor and put onto a train to transport to the whaling station.
Thank you for sharing Yvonne 🙂
Wow whale of a tale
Thank you
Thanks a million for the video brother please don't go back at the same place you took videos
Is this by the army base?
Yes
Due to fear neglected badly
Oooh brother noo it's too dangerous
Where is this
Hi Ameer it's by the Bluff
Hahaha so sick if i had the resources i would also love to try my hand at Urban exploration XD. But for now i will just suscribe to the channel instead.
Thank you 😁
Its dangerous that's what we heard please be safe and cautious, from what was heard Durban is no longer safe alot of thugs , it's unknown I'm assuming not suggesting that's the reason we couldn't go to Durban but surely we want to visit the Fisk market and spice we love the Durban spice please tell me Victory street is not dangerous due to our number plate we not attracted by thugs
Isipingo Beach
Bluff beach
Demolished Seaheaven is in Isipingo Beach
So much trash on the beach
Ar shame , you didn't do enough research hay
I work at Durban Beachfront, and I always wonder what's on the other side of the military base 🤔? Now I know 😂, thanks to you 🫡.
My pleasure 😁