Dead whale finally being removed from Perth beach, four days after washing up
1 hour ago
A large crane hoists the decaying carcass at City Beach. ( ABC News: Callum Liddelow )
A huge humpback whale that washed up at Perth’s City Beach on Monday is finally being removed from the shoreline, more than three days after attracting large crowds – and circling sharks.
A 72-tonne crane hired by the Town of Cambridge began lifting the 13-metre long, decomposing carcass at about 10am today as dozens of spectators watched on from a distance.
The beach remained closed after contractors spent all day yesterday preparing to move the whale. But the operation failed because the excavator hired for the job was not strong enough to shift the mammal, which initially weighed 31 tonnes.
The mammal now weighs around 18 tonnes after losing fluid in recent days.
The operation to remove the whale is underway more than three days after it arrived. ( ABC News: Callum Liddelow )
Late yesterday it was wrapped in a net and dragged 1.5 kilometres along the shore to the surf club, where it remained overnight.
As the $100,000 operation continued, a tagged white shark was detected this morning about four kilometres up the coast in Scarborough.
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