Photo via ABC News (AU)

Dead whale finally being removed from Perth beach, four days after washing up

Read the original at ABC News (AU) ↗
Cite

Png, K., & Liddelow, C. (2026, October 1). Dead whale finally being removed from Perth beach, four days after washing up. ABC News (AU). https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-01/humpback-whale-carcass-at-city-beach-heading-to-landfill/107215324

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

ABC News (AU) · collected 2026-10-01 · by Kenith Png, Callum Liddelow

Quick Summary

A decomposing humpback whale washed up at Perth’s City Beach on Monday, attracting large crowds and circling sharks. On Thursday morning, a 72-tonne crane hired by the Town of Cambridge began lifting the 31-tonne carcass to remove it from the beach after preparations had been ongoing since Tuesday. The removal operation, estimated to cost $100,000, involves dragging the whale along the shore and burying it in landfill. Local authorities are considering whether the state government will cover the costs of this cleanup effort.
Written by AI on 2026-10-01, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

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.

Written for “Whale Carcass Removal City Beach” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 12 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Whale Carcass Removal City Beach
Environment · 13 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 9% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Council facing hefty bill to remove whale carcass from popular beach Same event
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 68/100
Removing beached whale carcasses no easy task Same event
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 5 of 23 claims Outlet record 68/100
WA news LIVE: Whale carcass to be removed from City Beach today Same event
The Sydney Morning Herald
Hedges 0 of 4 claims Outlet record 61/100
WA news LIVE: Whale carcass to be removed from south City Beach today Same event
The Sydney Morning Herald
Hedges 0 of 4 claims Outlet record 61/100
Specialist crews begin ‘gruesome task’ of removing 31-tonne whale carcass from City Beach Same event
The Sydney Morning Herald
Hedges 2 of 28 claims Outlet record 61/100
Whale carcass finally removed from City Beach Same event
The Sydney Morning Herald
Hedges 3 of 12 claims Outlet record 61/100
5 dead in 3 weeks: are Indonesia’s whale strandings on the rise? Different event
South China Morning Post
Hedges 1 of 8 claims Outlet record 63/100
“The articles describe different stranding events involving whales and whale sharks in Perth, Australia, and various locations in Indonesia.”
Mammoth effort underway to remove whale carcass from Perth beach Same event
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 0 of 16 claims Outlet record 68/100
Sharks circle as whale carcass washes up on City Beach Different event
The Sydney Morning Herald
Hedges 2 of 10 claims Outlet record 61/100
“While both articles describe a whale carcass at City Beach attracting sharks, Article B is reporting on the removal of the carcass four days after it was initially spotted, which is a different event.”
‘High bacteria levels’ keep Perth beaches shut after whale carcass moved Different event
The Sydney Morning Herald
Hedges 2 of 20 claims Outlet record 61/100
“Article A describes the removal process of the whale carcass from Perth's City Beach, while Article B discusses subsequent beach closures due to high bacteria levels following the removal and initial washing up of the whale.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
11
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
9%
1 of 11 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
ABC News (AU)'s corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
13
Environment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-01 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

ABC News (AU) · 4630 article(s) · 10 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 10 correction(s)
2026-10-25
Live: Diamonds play Constellation Cup on home soil
2026-10-19
Elizabeth Struhs's mother trusted God would 'heal' 8yo, inquest hears
2026-10-17
Siblings with same rare birth defect can walk after donated care
2026-10-15
Sydney prison criticised for 'putrid' conditions returns to public hands
2026-10-15
Cost forces ACT government to scrap pledge to tag DV perpetrators
2026-10-15
Fraudsters avoid time behind bars
2026-10-15
Queensland jails will be at triple capacity under new bail laws, union warns
2026-10-07
Judge rules evidence from Christa Pike's botched execution be preserved
2026-09-15
Canberra man posed as teenage girl to obtain child abuse material
2026-09-07
'Her career's finished': Fugitive Sydney developer's daughter avoids jail

Who wrote this

Kenith Png
2 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Town of Cambridge Mayor Gary Mack said the plan was to bury the whale in landfill.
2026-10-01 · assertive framing · Dead whale finally being removed from Perth beach, four days after washing up
🔮 WA Police Minister Reece Whitby said he could not believe anyone would "take on a croc".
2026-09-15 · assertive framing · Teens in court over Perth Zoo attack on crocodile
Also by Kenith Png
Teens in court over Perth Zoo attack on crocodile
2026-09-15 · ABC News (AU)
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
Callum Liddelow
6 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The man is expected to face Northam Magistrates Court on December 14.
2026-10-15 · assertive framing · Speed camera operator charged over alleged dangerous overtake on road train
🔮 In short: Curtin University's vice-chancellor says the proposed merger of WA's three public universities will be a costly process that will "fix something that is not broken".
2026-10-12 · assertive framing · Curtin University warns proposed merger 'solves problems we don't have'
🔮 Town of Cambridge Mayor Gary Mack said the plan was to bury the whale in landfill.
2026-10-01 · assertive framing · Dead whale finally being removed from Perth beach, four days after washing up
🔮 ACCC again blocks sale of RAC WA's insurance arm to Sydney-based IAG In short: The competition regulator has again blocked the sale of RAC to the east-coast-based IAG, saying it would reduce competition in WA's insurance markets and increase premiums. The RAC maintains that members would be better off under a national insurer that would "strengthen RAC's ability to respond to a changing insurance landscape" and reduce the risk it carries alone.
2026-09-23 · assertive framing · Watchdog again blocks sale of RAC WA insurance arm to east-coast giant
🔮 Smart glasses will be banned from public schools in Western Australia to prevent children from being secretly filmed, the state's education minister has announced.
2026-09-22 · assertive framing · Smart glasses to be banned from WA public schools
Also by Callum Liddelow
Speed camera operator charged over alleged dangerous overtake on road train
2026-10-15 · ABC News (AU)
Curtin University warns proposed merger 'solves problems we don't have'
2026-10-12 · ABC News (AU)
Four people charged over shooting in suburban Perth
2026-09-25 · ABC News (AU)
Watchdog again blocks sale of RAC WA insurance arm to east-coast giant
2026-09-23 · ABC News (AU)
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 6 articles by Callum Liddelow →

Topics

Cambridge Perth Scarborough SharkSmart the Town of Cambridge

Subjects

the Town of Cambridge GPE · 2× 102.5 ABC Perth ORG · 1× Cambridge GPE · 1× Floreat GPE · 1× Gary Mack PERSON · 1× Mack PERSON · 1× Perth GPE · 1× Scarborough GPE · 1× SharkSmart ORG · 1× the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development ORG · 1×

Narrative

Contractors spent all day at the beach yesterday preparing to move the whale, but the excavator hired for the job was not strong enough to shift the mammal, which initially weighed 31 tonnes.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-01
🔮 Town of Cambridge Mayor Gary Mack said the plan was to bury the whale in landfill.
2026-10-01 · ABC News (AU)
Dead whale finally being removed from Perth beach, four days after washing up · assertive framing

Claims (11 extracted, 1 hedged)

A huge humpback whale that washed up at Perth’s City Beach on Monday is finally being removed from the shoreline, more than three days after attracting large crowds – and circling sharks. asserted
that → wash → crowds
A 72-tonne crane hired by the Town of Cambridge began lifting the 13-metre long, decomposing carcass at about 10am today. asserted
crane → hire → 10
Contractors spent all day at the beach yesterday preparing to move the whale, but the excavator hired for the job was not strong enough to shift the mammal, which initially weighed 31 tonnes. asserted
which → spend → tonnes
Loading...It was instead wrapped in a net and dragged 1.5 kilometres along the shore to the surf club, where it remained overnight. asserted
it → load → club
As the $100,000 operation continued, a tagged white shark was detected this morning about four kilometres up the coast in Scarborough. asserted
shark → continue → Scarborough
According to the state government's SharkSmart website, the predator was detected six times between 5:55am and 7:17am this morning. uncertain
predator → accord → 5:55am
Town of Cambridge Mayor Gary Mack said the plan was to bury the whale in landfill. asserted
plan → say → landfill
"It'll be lifted up, it'll be laid on the truck and then sent to landfill," he told 102.5 ABC Perth. asserted
he → lift → Perth
Mr Mack has not ruled out asking the state government to foot the bill, but said the Town of Cambridge was planning to pay for the whale's removal. asserted
Town → rule → removal
Yesterday, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development shared underwater footage on social media of a shark its staff had tagged in the area. asserted
staff → share → area
Both a 3.7 metre and a 3.1 metre white shark were tagged off Floreat and City Beach. asserted
metre → tag → Floreat
💬Give feedback
🕘History 🎫Support
Terms · Privacy · beta v2.0.0
Articles to 2 Nov 2026