Get the appRandwick Council has closed Malabar Beach in Sydney's east after whale remains washed up there. The juvenile whale carcass had earlier drifted onto the shore at Lurline Bay last week. Council lifeguards fenced off the area over concern the carcass could attract sharks. Council moved the remains further up the beach and is arranging contractors to dispose of them. The beach will stay closed until further notice.
Wildlife rescuers have been praised after freeing a young dugong tangled in a car fanbelt near Exmouth, on Western Australia's north-west coast. Fifteen responders returned the roughly two-metre animal to deeper water in less than 24 hours after it was spotted struggling at Wapet Creek. Officials said the animal showed no major signs of distress. Dugongs are endangered, and each one saved may help the wider Exmouth Gulf population. Helene Marsh, a conservation scientist, said the species is increasingly under threat across the country.
Sorrento Beach in Perth's northern suburbs has been closed after a whale carcass was sighted on Sunday morning. The City of Joondalup closed the beach, and beaches in the area remain closed. The carcass was removed by 10.40am, but a shark advice alert remains because the carcass may attract sharks close to shore. Officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development are monitoring the situation. It follows a juvenile whale carcass that washed ashore at Dutch Inn Beach on Thursday, which was taken to the Red Hill Waste Management Facility.
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Get the appRandwick City Council has closed Maroubra and Coogee beaches after a whale carcass washed up on rocks between them. The carcass lies at Lurline Bay, just over two kilometres from either beach. Council is working with the Gamay Rangers and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The carcass will stay in place for now, as discussions continue about a culturally and environmentally sensitive approach. Council is also considering closing the surrounding rock shelf walkway. Council urges people to avoid swimming at both beaches, as carcasses can attract sharks.
Shipping correspondent Jean Hudson watched orcas hunt a young fin whale off Bremer Bay, Western Australia. The pod drove the whale towards a tour boat before drowning it. Hudson also describes orcas ramming and damaging sailboats off Portugal and Spain since 2020. She reports that one orca known as Toni was found with wounds believed to be from a shotgun blast. Hudson urges people not to shoot orcas.