13 meter Humpback whale dies, 90 Mile Beach, Australia (Slidshow)

19 October, 2011

By Cath McAloon

A 13 meter humpback whale died after becoming stranded on the 90 Mile Beach at McGauran’s Beach.

A humpback whale, believed to be female and weighing about five to six tonne, has died after becoming stranded on Gippsland‘s 90 Mile Beach.

The whale is thought to have came ashore at the western end of the 90 Mile Beach at McGauran’s Beach, between Seaspray and Yarram, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

It was discovered by Judy Drysdale and her husband who arrived at the beach about 8am on Wednesday for a day of fishing.

“We saw the whale beached there, still alive. He was flapping his tail and we walked up and had a look and then I rang the police and waited for somebody to come,” Mrs Drysdale said.

She kept the whale wet, but tried not to get too close, so as not to distress the animal, while waiting for authorities to arrive.

“I just went up periodically and wet him down. He was gurgling through his blowhole, when I’d go up and wet him down he’d open his eye and look at me, he’s rather cute.

“It’s very, very sad to see such a beautiful, majestic animal just die like that in front of you. There is nothing you can do to help it. I’m sad.”

Charlie Franken, the DSE‘s wildlife manager for the Gippsland region, said while whales are regular visitors to waters off Gippsland as they migrate between northern and southern waters, it is unusual for them to come ashore in the region.

“They are naturally found here, they feed up north during the warmer winters and head back south during summer, so it is on its migration run back down south.

“It’s very uncommon to get live ones (coming ashore). We do have dolphins washing up, or stranding live in the Gippsland Lakes, but in Victoria we have more dead ones washing up, unlike Tasmania who very regularly have strandings of whales and dolphins.”

He said it was likely that the whale was sick, or had been injured.

The carcass of the dead whale will be left to decompose on the beach over coming weeks.

“It certainly will take quite a while to rot away, but otherwise we’d have to bury it and given the isolation of this beach, it’s probably best to just leave it there,” Mr Franken said.

He said visitors to the beach could expect an offensive smell as the carcass decomposes.

“In a few weeks it will be a stinking mess,” he said.

abc.net.au Slidshow Audio

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