"There Was No Whale": Graham Howes' Mother Breaks Silence on Kitesurfer's Death

• Geraldean Howes has challenged the widely reported explanation surrounding her kitesurfer son's death
• She says the postmortem findings available to the family did not establish a whale collision
• Graham's death was previously reported as a freak whale encounter following an investigation

The mother of late South African professional kitesurfer Graham Howes has challenged the widely reported explanation surrounding her son's death, saying the forensic findings available to the family do not support claims that he was struck by a whale.

Geraldean Howes opened up about her grief and unanswered questions in an interview with YOU magazine, more than a year after her 38-year-old son died off Bloubergstrand in Cape Town.

She said the family was not seeking to blame anyone but wanted the circumstances surrounding his death to be properly established.

What Graham Howes' mother says about his postmortem

Graham died on 7 September 2025 after going kiteboarding off Eden on the Bay in Bloubergstrand. According to Geraldean, her son was testing kite equipment on the day of the incident. He was a professional kitesurfer who had a contract with an equipment manufacturer.

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She told YOU that the manufacturer had presented the whale explanation as a confirmed account, allegedly relying on three postmortems, damaged equipment and camera footage. However, Geraldean disputed that version, saying her son underwent only one postmortem examination.

According to her, the examination identified blunt-force trauma to his head, followed by drowning. She said the findings available to the family contained no evidence that he had made contact with a whale or another sea creature.

She also questioned claims about camera footage allegedly showing a collision, saying the family had not received verified footage establishing that such an incident occurred.

The mother further explained that police informed the family about damage to Graham's recovered kite equipment, including broken lines.

Although the damage raised questions about a possible equipment malfunction, she stressed that it did not independently establish that a whale had struck him.

What was previously reported about Graham Howes' death

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On 6 October 2025, Briefly News reported that coroners had confirmed that Howes died after being struck by a whale while kiteboarding.

The report, which followed an account published by IOL, said the investigation included three independent postmortem examinations.

The reported findings suggested that Howes had been riding towards a pod of whales when one struck him with considerable force, rendering him unconscious and causing him to drown. Damaged kite lines, his board, an unreleased safety mechanism and camera footage were among the evidence cited in the account.

However, Geraldean's latest comments to YOU have raised fresh questions about the explanation that received widespread media attention at the time.

YOU also reported that the matter had been referred to the courts and remained under consideration.

Geraldean emphasised that the family was not trying to place blame on anyone.

"We are not trying to place blame," she said, explaining that they wanted the truth about Graham's death to be established and accurately represented.

She also expressed gratitude to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) for its efforts to find her son, saying she did not want the organisation associated with an explanation she believes has not been substantiated.

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NSRI to launch Spirit of Graham Howes rescue vessel

Briefly News previously reported that the family of kitesurfer Graham Howes, who died in a freak whale encounter in September 2025, launched a fundraising campaign to honour his memory

R200,000 has been raised so far, with a BackaBuddy campaign targeting a further R600,000 toward the broader initiative

Source: Briefly News