A humpback whale carcass that washed up on City Beach in Perth, Western Australia, on Sept. 28 drew great white sharks to within about 49 feet (15 meters) of shore and led officials to close the beach, according to A-Z Animals.
The dead whale was a female about 42 feet (13 meters) long. Her age could not be pinned down beyond a range of 15 to 90 years, and the cause of death is unknown. A tiger shark had already started feeding on her while she was still at sea.
After the whale reached the beach, video showed two great whites cruising the shallows. Rescuers later tallied three great whites, each close to 13 feet (4 meters) long, about 15 meters from shore. A bronze whaler was reported feeding on the carcass as well.
The concern was not limited to the whale’s resting place. Footage showed a bronze whaler off Scarborough Beach, where people were still swimming and surfing.
Cambridge Mayor Gary Mack closed City Beach between Swanbourne and Floreat. He asked residents and visitors to keep out of the water and leave dogs at home until crews had removed the whale.
In an earlier advisory for a previous Western Australia whale stranding, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said a carcass would likely act as an attractant, bringing sharks close to shore.
Officials pointed beachgoers to the SharkSmart website and app, and to Surf Life Saving WA’s social media, for real-time shark activity updates. Anyone who spots a shark was asked to call the Water Police.
Removing the whale took two full days. An excavator was not strong enough to move the carcass, so crews brought in a crane and a truck. The whale was moved about 0.8 mile (1.25 kilometers) to an access road, wrapped and taken to landfill on the Thursday after it washed up. Aboriginal elders held a smoking ceremony before the move.
A decomposing whale leaks oil, blood and blubber into the water for a long time, and the scent can travel and linger. Curt Jenner of the Centre for Whale Research in Western Australia explained that sharks can keep responding to those cues for weeks, even after the carcass is removed. Gemma Sharp of Whale Watch Western Australia warned that scent left in the sand could keep drawing sharks to the area.
The closure came at a tense time on the Western Australia coast. Just over a week earlier, a swimmer died in a shark attack at Sorrento Beach, not far up the coast, and a separate attack struck a remote beach north of Geraldton the same week the whale washed ashore.
Officials said the odor left behind means the threat may not end with the whale’s removal. For more on beach closures tied to great white activity, see Sharkophile’s story Huntington Beach closes beach after great white sighting.
Source: A-Z Animals
