Authorities scramble after dead whale washes ashore
A dead juvenile whale has washed ashore on the Sunshine Coast, with authorities racing to determine the cause of death.
A dead juvenile whale washed up on a Sunshine Coast beach will be tested for bird flu, authorities say.
The Sunshine Coast Council said it responded to a report of a dead whale floating between Point Cartwright and Mudjimba on Tuesday, about 4pm.
The female humpback whale was intact and measured 6.7 metres.
“The alert came from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services and council environment crews immediately responded,” the council said in a statement.
You might like
“By 5pm … the whale had drifted to the northern end of Mooloolaba and quick moving tides meant the whale was likely to wash onto the beach at Alexandra Headlands before boat crews could intervene.”
The council set up an exclusion zone to “ensure public safety” and the whale was removed at first light on Wednesday morning.
Samples were collected and will be submitted to authorities. The whale was also tested for H5 bird flu on site but the cause of death is so far unknown.
The carcass was fitted with a GPS tracker to monitor its movements, allowing the council to “intervene early should it drift back towards the coast”.
The community is still advised to follow the advice of lifeguards and swim between the flags.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.
