City Beach Whale Carcass Removal Poses Significant Challenges

A 13-metre-long whale carcass weighing an estimated 31 tonnes washed ashore at City Beach on Monday morning, prompting concerns about the logistical and financial burden of disposing of the massive organic material.

The Town of Cambridge council faces a daunting task in removing the carcass, which has decayed and attracted sharks to one of Perth's most popular beaches, forcing it to close to swimmers.

Disposal Challenges

Disposing of whale carcasses is a complex and costly process. University of Western Australia marine biologist Kate Sprogis explained that the prevailing wisdom is to tow carcasses back out to sea or carry them to the dump.

"If it's a big swell, big weather, big wind, and they can't get a boat out or a large enough boat to tow it, then landfill might be an option," Dr Sprogis said.

The cost of removal can be substantial, with the 2014 cleanup of a whale carcass on Scarborough Beach costing $188,000. Town of Cambridge Mayor Gary Mack warned that the local council will likely foot the bill, which will increase the longer the beach remains closed.

"Any sort of large animal like that, full of blubber, is really attractive for sharks," Dr Sprogis said.

Migration Season

Dr Sprogis noted that the months of September and October are typically a time of migration for humpback whales, and the lone whale carcass on City Beach's shores is not an unexpected occurrence.

"During this time, there's a whole range of reasons why some of them end up dying," she said.

A necropsy is typically required to determine the cause of death, but if there are no obvious signs of trauma on the carcass, the whale could have died from natural causes.

"When they die, they generally float on the surface. Their body gets filled with gases," Dr Sprogis said.

Research Opportunities

While the death of a whale is not all bad, as carcasses can still yield important samples for researchers, Dr Sprogis warned that decomposition is a problem.

"As soon as it starts decomposing and breaking down, that's when the number of samples is reduced, because a lot of analysis in the lab can only be done with fresh samples," she said.

The dead whale, which has drawn hundreds of onlookers over the past two days, is expected to be removed from the beach.