A giant whale has washed ashore on Perth beach

On the morning of Monday, September 28, 2026, the carcass of a small humpback whale washed ashore at South City Beach, located slightly north of Swanbourne in Perth, Western Australia. Hundreds of people gathered to witness the sight, as it was a public holiday. The whale's body, about six meters or 20 feet long, was already decomposing and emitting a strong odor. Authorities took steps to close the beach as massive great white sharks were seen circling just a few meters from the shore, drawn by the scent of the carcass.

Mayor Gary Mack of the Town of Cambridge, which is responsible for the area, stated that plans were in place to transport the carcass by truck to a landfill on Tuesday morning.

A local resident claimed that the carcass had drifted about 300 meters before Surf Life Saving WA reported it washed ashore around 7:30 AM on Monday. A drone photographer later observed bite marks on the body. However, the animal was first spotted the previous day, Sunday, September 27, around 4:30 PM by Jemma Sharpe, owner of Whale Watch Western Australia. She noted that a group of sharks, including a large tiger shark, were already attacking the floating carcass four nautical miles off Scarborough Beach. As there were no signs of entanglement, attack by another animal, or external injuries, she speculated that the death might have been due to internal causes. She further pointed out that around 45,000 humpback whales migrate during this season, and not all of them survive the journey.

Hundreds of people gathered on the beach despite the stench, with some taking photos and selfies while others covered their noses. Among the crowd were Filia Diamantidakis, Sophie Wormald, Millie Redshaw, British national Hope Collins-Wright, as well as Oscar and Lydia Moss, who saw two sharks come very close to the shore. A local resident named David Jones told the media that similar dead whales had washed ashore on this beach in the past, and it was a very sad sight. Tom Cavanagh, a 36-year-old British wildlife photographer who has lived in Perth for 11 years, recorded footage of two massive great white sharks approaching the beach through the channel. He also observed another shark circling about 30 meters from Scarborough Beach, where people were swimming.

As a precautionary measure, authorities closed the beach approximately one kilometer north and south of the carcass, from the Floreat Drain car park to Bodmin Avenue. Security in the area was maintained using a Westpac rescue helicopter, a patrol boat, and a Surf Life Saving vehicle. According to observation reports, a 5-meter shark was spotted 10 meters away at 8:29 AM, a 2.5-meter shark at 9:12 AM, several sharks near Swanbourne at 10:30 AM, and a 4-meter white shark at 10:46 AM. By 2:45 PM, three massive great white sharks, about 4 meters long, were seen circling approximately 15 meters from the shore. Additionally, a small wobbegong shark was reported from the Trigg area and two tiger sharks from Cottesloe. Authorities warned people to remain vigilant as the carcass could attract sharks, and the mayor emphasized that people and pets should not enter the water, stating, "This is not a time to take risks." Instructions were also given to report any shark sightings to the Water Police at 9442 8600.

Regarding the removal of the whale carcass, the Town Council had initially decided to dispose of it by truck rather than towing it out to sea. Officials believed that towing was impractical due to the wave conditions and the carcass being firmly stuck in a sandbank, and these operations were somewhat delayed due to the public holiday. However, Jemma Sharpe expressed her opposition to this decision, stating that towing the carcass into deep sea and allowing it to sink would keep sharks away from the beach. Otherwise, she warned, if the carcass were removed from the beach, its oil and scent could linger in the sand for days or weeks, potentially attracting hundreds of sharks from far away towards the shore.

This incident was reported just 10 days after a severe tragedy occurred near Perth's coastline. On September 18, 63-year-old Greg O'Neill was fatally attacked by a massive great white shark while swimming about 15 meters off Sorrento Beach, located 10 to 15 kilometers north of City Beach. A rare shark hunting order was issued in response. A few days prior, a 56-year-old man was also attacked by a shark at Glenfield Beach near Geraldton, approximately 420 kilometers north of Perth. Commenting to the media, one spectator at City Beach stated that due to these recent attacks and previous experiences of sharks being attracted by a similar whale carcass at Grant Street Beach on June 28, 2026, they would refrain from entering the sea for several more months.