Two Sydney beaches closed after whale carcass washes ashore
Coogee and Maroubra beaches in Sydney's eastern suburbs, Australia, have been closed after a dead whale washed up on rocks between them. The local council is working with rangers and state authorities on how to remove it.
Two popular swimming and surfing beaches in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, Australia's largest city, have been closed as a precaution. Coogee and Maroubra were shut after a whale carcass washed up on the rocks between them, and they will stay closed until further notice.
Randwick council says it is working with rangers and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries to remove the carcass from a hard-to-reach spot surrounded by cliffs and a rock ledge. Lifeguards are monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities on the removal. The council is also considering closing the surrounding area and the rock shelf walkway to manage crowds on the popular coastal walk. Residents and visitors are urged to avoid the area and follow lifeguards' directions.
At present the carcass is not being removed, and talks continue with the Gamay Rangers about a culturally and environmentally sensitive approach. Mayor Clare Willington said the removal would be culturally respectful to Indigenous Australians, noting that the whale is an important totem animal to the local Bidjigal people. She added that this is a natural occurrence, that nature will in time deal with the carcass, and that the council's focus is limiting any impact on swimmers and surfers at nearby beaches.
Curious onlookers
Locals gathered at Lurline Bay through the morning to glimpse the animal. Meeri Pajala, an au pair from Finland living in Sydney, said she had never seen anything like it and that it "almost looks fake". Glenda, a local who did not want her full name published, said she was curious whether the whale was a newborn or a juvenile.
The carcass is relatively small and heavily deteriorated, with what appear to be bite marks along the blubber. It became lodged in a crevice at low tide. To the surprise of many onlookers, it does not seem to have a smell. Authorities are still determining the species and how it reached the bay, and it is believed to have died some time ago.
Separately, authorities are working to free a large whale stuck in shallow water off Turners Beach on Tasmania's north-west coast.
