Overview
- The 6.7-metre female juvenile humpback was first seen floating between Point Cartwright and Mudjimba and came ashore at Alexandra Headland on Tuesday.
- Sunshine Coast Council officers established an exclusion zone overnight and urged beachgoers to keep their distance while crews collected measurements and samples.
- Samples were tested for H5 avian influenza and other illnesses and will be submitted to state authorities as part of a formal strandings report.
- At first light on Wednesday a GPS tracker was fitted and the carcass was towed about 20 nautical miles offshore so officials can monitor its drift and respond if it returns.
- The cause of death remains unknown and data from the operation will be used to guide future carcass-management decisions during busy beach periods such as school holidays.