Stranded sperm whale dies despite rescue attempts
Stranded sperm whale dies despite rescue attempts
A whale that stranded itself at two Perth beaches in recent days has died after becoming stuck on a sand bar at Rockingham.

The huge sperm whale, which was more than 15 metres long and weighed more than 30 tonnes, surprised swimmers at Port Beach in Fremantle on Saturday when it briefly came to shore before swimming out to sea.

Yesterday dozens of people flocked to the Rockingham Naval Memorial Park Beach after the whale reappeared close to shore, with authorities closing the beach to the public as they tried to assist it.

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) says the whale was in poor condition with an injury to its head and sunburn, due to being in shallow water for an extended period of time.

On Monday afternoon, authorities began spraying the animal with water using a hose from a boat to minimise its blistering and sunburn.


Department spokesman Mark Cugley said staff monitored the whale but its condition deteriorated further overnight as it lay on a sandbar and it died this morning.

He said it managed to get off the sandbar, about 70 metres from the shore, but was very weak and unable to swim far, and marine scientists confirmed its death at about 6:30am.

No sign of trauma

Mr Cugley said the whale's behaviour had concerned authorities from the time it was first spotted at Port Beach, including swimming in tight circles.

"We were pretty aware very quickly that it wasn't in good condition," he said.

Mr Cugley said the whale's carcass showed no visible signs of external trauma and it is likely the animal's advanced age was a factor in its death.

"We will be looking at certainly doing some post-mortem or necropsy analysis as well to understand anything more we can about the death of the whale and also about this species, given it's quite unusual to have a sperm whale in this area of Perth," he said.

He said the department was making plans to tow the carcass to another location and then use a crane to transport it to landfill.

Local Indigenous elders planned to hold a special ceremony commemorating the event this afternoon.

Indigenous community leader and elder George Walley said the Mamang, or whale, was an important cultural totem, and locals planned to honour the animal.

"We're very happy to do something that helps the whale and helps the spirit of the whale and helps us mob as well, reflecting on how our ancestors have done that in the past and how we should do that now," Mr Walley said.