Overview
- Randwick City Council closed Maroubra and Coogee beaches after a whale carcass was seen at Lurline Bay and lifeguards began monitoring the site while officials plan removal.
- Drone footage from a local operator appears to show material wrapped around one of the whale’s fins, and scientists say sharks are likely to be drawn to decomposing remains.
- Randwick Mayor Clare Willington said the council is working with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Gamay Rangers to ensure removal is safe and culturally respectful.
- In Perth, a juvenile whale washed up at South Cottesloe and was removed in a six‑hour operation that saw the carcass taken to Red Hill landfill while nearby beaches stayed closed for shark monitoring.
- This year’s string of wash‑ups has created repeated public‑safety, biosecurity and cost pressures for local councils, including a late‑September City Beach removal that cost about $180,000 and prompted closer state coordination.