A deceased juvenile whale was spotted off the Illawarra coast near Wombarra Headland on the morning of Tuesday 28 October 2025.
Unfortunately, multi-agency efforts to secure and retrieve the carcass from the water throughout Tuesday were unsuccessful, and as of late Tuesday evening, the carcass washed ashore onto a rock shelf north of Scarborough Beach. As the deceased whale is now on land, it is now the responsibility of Wollongong City Council to remove.
We're working with specialists in salvage work to identify the next steps of the carcass' removal and disposal. We will aim to remove the whale as soon as possible, when the ocean tide and other conditions are favourable. Until then, we've secured the deceased whale to its current position and will monitor the site.
Council is committed to handling the situation respectfully and responsibly, and with the wellbeing and safety of our community and environment front of mind.
Under NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) regulations, Council is legally required to take the remains of the deceased whale to a licensed waste facility. Unfortunately, this prevents us from towing the whale back out to sea.
We have closed nearby patrolled beaches Coalcliff, Scarborough and Coledale, Stanwell Park and Austinmer for swimming as the presence of a deceased whale can result in increased shark activity. We will reopen the beaches once it's safe to do so.
We understand this situation has attracted many passionate community members down to Scarborough Beach. However, for public safety, we urge residents to please stay away from the carcass site and to not enter the nearby water.
We recognise that the presence of a deceased whale can also be upsetting for many in our community. These animals are significant both environmentally and culturally, and their loss is taken seriously.
