Mammoth effort underway to remove whale carcass from Perth beach

Posted Wed 30 Sep 2026 at 4:25pmWed 30 Sep 2026 at 4:25pmHeavy machinery is needed to move the carcass, which weighs more than 30 tonnes. (ABC News: Lucy Murray)Large machinery has been moved onto City Beach in Perth as a mammoth operation gets underway to remove a 13-metre humpback whale carcass.The beach has been completely closed and crowds have been asked to stay away while contractors lift the 31-tonne carcass and transport it to landfill, where it will be buried.City Beach will remain closed until it is cleared of all whale remnants. (ABC News: Lucy Murray)Town of Cambridge staff are guarding every access to the beach and are warning that anyone who enters the sand or flies a drone above workers will be fined $250.The whale washed ashore early Monday morning and several sharks have been seen circling close to shore, including a 5-metre white shark."We also ask people to not fly drones over the area, that has been interfering with the operations, it's very distracting to the workers," Town of Cambridge Mayor Gary Mack said."We've got rangers down there, we've got parks and garden staff down there to help out. It's a big operation, we've actually diverted staff away from their normal job down here."The whale carcass first washed up on Monday morning. (ABC News: Andrew O'Connor)The beach is expected to remain closed for some time after the whale is removed to ensure there are "no remnants of whale out there".It is expected to cost ratepayers between $60,000 and $100,000 to remove the carcass.The carcass will be taken to landfill. (ABC News: Lucy Murray)School holidays spectacleHundreds of Perth families have visited the dead whale and spotted sharks swimming in close over the past two days.Mr Mack saying the dead humpback had "gone viral"."It's gone around the world. We have had calls from radio stations and people we have never heard of before," he told reporters on Wednesday.The carcass has attracted large crowds since in washed up on Monday, but the beach was closed to all as it was removed on Wednesday. (ABC News: Andrew O'Connor)Most people have been respectful and marvelled at nature in action, but he did call out a person seen on social media to be jumping on the belly of the whale."That was very unwise, because if that person slipped into the water with those sharks around, that would be very dangerous," he said."We don't know the structural integrity. And also, it doesn't show respect to the animal. It's a deceased whale down there. It's not a toy."