Eastern Sydney beaches close after whale carcass washes up

Coogee and Maroubra beaches close after whale carcass washes upBy Declan Bowring702 ABC SydneyTopic:AnimalsPosted Thu 22 Oct 2026 at 9:45amThu 22 Oct 2026 at 9:45amWhale scientist Vanessa Pirotta says the whale is likely a young adult or teenaged humpback whale. (Supplied: Randwick City Council)Coogee and Maroubra beaches in Sydney's east have been closed after a whale carcass, suspected of being a young humpback, was spotted floating against the coastline. The dead whale was spotted at Lurline Bay this morning. Randwick Council announced the beaches would be closed to swimmers pending the carcass's removal. "Maroubra and Coogee Beaches will remain closed until further notice while lifeguards monitor the situation and work with local stakeholders and authorities to arrange the whale's removal," the council published in a social media post. Whale scientist Vanessa Pirotta said sharks would likely be drawn to the area. "We do expect to see whales pass during this time," she said."The population is large and more individuals mean we are likely to see this.""I would strongly advise not swimming in the area."While the council identified the whale as a baby, Dr Pirotta said it was likely a young adult or teenaged humpback whale. The whale is not the first to wash up on Sydney's coast this year. A juvenile humpback whale calf washed up on Greenhills Beach in Sydney's Sutherland Shire in July and was tested for H5N1 bird flu, coming back with a negative result. In April several beaches in the Royal National Park were closed for days after a carcass that attracted sharks washed up on the rocks at Era Beach. Drone footage from a local operator appeared to show material wrapped around one of the whale's fins.