Council facing hefty bill to remove whale carcass from popular beach

A 13-metre humpback whale carcass washed up on south City Beach in Perth early Monday morning, attracting several great white sharks, including one measuring over 5 metres, prompting authorities to issue multiple shark warnings and close the beach. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development warned that the carcass could continue to attract sharks for weeks. Local surf lifesavers spotted the whale around 7:30 AM, and a helicopter reported seeing five-metre and four-metre white sharks circling near Swanbourne, just south of City Beach by late morning. The Town of Cambridge is managing the removal, which began Wednesday afternoon using heavy machinery, an excavator, and a truck at an estimated cost between $60,000 and $100,000, with disposal planned for Perth tips like Tamala Park or Baldivis.