Well, that’s a big problem.
A dead 10-meter (32-feet) sperm whale has washed up on a Sydney beach, with rescuers struggling Thursday to remove it as the animal’s blood runs into the water, attracting sharks.
The carcass, believed to weigh up to 12 tonnes, beached on a rock platform at Newport on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and is proving difficult to shift.
Reports said it was badly decomposed and missing its tail, making it impossible to tow out to sea.
Northern Beaches area manager for National Parks and Wildlife Service, said it was hard to know what to do.
“We haven’t had that much experience in Sydney with large dead whales. It’s a whole new ball game so we are waiting for advice from a marine expert before we make a decision as to how we will move it.”
It was not known how the whale died, although a wildlife official said it looked like the tail had been been taken off by sharks based on teeth marks, with bites also on its head and dorsal fin.
[Image via National Parks and Wildlife Service]