A juvenile humpback whale has washed ashore near Blythe Heads at Heybridge in Tasmania’s north-west, with authorities indicating it may be left to rot naturally as the southward migration season begins.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania’s Marine Conservation Program confirmed they received a report of the dead whale, which appears to have been deceased for several days.
Scavenger bites visible on the carcass likely occurred while the whale was drifting at sea, according to department officials.
“Due to the condition of the carcass, it is not possible to determine an exact cause of death,” a spokeswoman for the department’s marine conservation program said.
The department will collect measurements and tissue samples for their records before making a final decision on the whale’s fate.
Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service is currently assessing the site to consider options for the carcass, with authorities indicating it may be left in place to decompose naturally.
“As the Eastern population continues to recover we may see an increased number of natural mortalities in juveniles washing ashore in Tasmania,” the spokeswoman said.
Authorities have warned the public to keep their distance from the carcass, noting that wild animals can carry disease and that it is an offence to interfere with, take, or possess parts of a dead whale.
