Whale carcass removed from Cottesloe beach after six-hour operation, beaches remain closed until tomorrow

Key points

• A juvenile whale carcass washed ashore near Cottesloe Beach on Thursday and has been removed to a landfill site. Town of Cottesloe rangers and a contractor used an excavator to lift it while dozens of locals watched.
• Lifeguards closed Cottesloe beaches that morning, and a shark alert was issued because the carcass could draw sharks closer to shore. The closures remain in place as a precaution.
• The removal follows a 31-tonne humpback whale at South City Beach last month, which cost about $180,000 to remove.