Whale removal a vexed question

The disposal of the 16 metre sperm whale that washed up on Forrest Caves last week has become a vexed question.

While calls for the removal of the whale continue, because of the awful stench being emitted, local contractors agree that it is impossible to access the beach with the earth moving equipment that would be required to bury it.

And local maritime experts agree that if the carcass was towed out to sea, as has been suggested, it would present a hazard to shipping, at least for an interim period.

Last week, a humpback whale which died at sea in Port Phillip Bay after becoming entangled, was able to be removed.

The huge creature was towed in to the beach at Mount Martha by authorities, to avoid it presenting a hazard to shipping.

Its carcass  was then subsequently removed from the beach, and has now been successfully disposed of.

Why not the same treatment here, the Department of Environment, Water and Land (DEWLP) was asked on Monday.

The response:  that the Mount Martha beach was accessible for the heavy machinery required for the task, ,whereas the Forrest Caves beach is not.

“The Humpback whale at Mount Martha was entangled at sea, presenting navigational safety concerns. After an options analysis was conducted, the animal was bought ashore to reduce navigational safety threats,” the spokesperson said.

“The deceased Sperm whale at Forrest Caves Beach, Phillip Island, does not currently present navigational safety concerns as it has washed ashore,” the spokesperson added.
Chris Angwin, Regional Manager of Operations (central region) of the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) said on Tuesday that there is a possibility that the whale could be washed back into the sea.

He said the position of the carcass is monitored daily, and it could still wash away.

“It is still a possibility on the right sort of king tide, such as those that we have over Easter, that the carcass could be washed further along the beach, or even back into the water,”  Chris said.

He said Fisheries is monitoring the situation closely, particularly in relation to the potential for an increase in shark activity in the area, and the Authority is taking every precaution deemed necessary..

He said a drone was in the air for eight hours over a two day period as weather conditions allowed last week, and will be used again.

Just one small shark, thought to be a bronze whaler, was spotted, which is not particularly unusual, he commented.

Chris said signage has also been erected at local beaches, and the Victorian Emergency App will be updated as required with emergency advice.

“We have also had a boat in the water regularly and are using binoculars from the beach.

“No significant shark issues have presented

“At this stage we have seen no signs of increased shark activity.”

Macabre incident
Meanwhile, in spite of protests about the stench, many thousands of onlookers have flocked to the Forrest Caves beach over the past ten days, to view what was once a grand and noble creature at close quarters.

And in what can only be described as a macabre incident, parts of the whale’s  jawbone were removed by unknown person/s on Thursday night.

It is an offence for members of the public to interfere, take or be in possession of parts of a dead whale, and the incident is being investigated.

A possible motive for such a despicable act could be the fact that an ivory tooth from a  sperm whale is currently fetching up to $1500 on the black market.

A post in the Advertiser’s photo contributor’s Facebook group  last week looked at the whale carcass from a cultural  perspective.

 “For my culture, we see it (the carcass) as a blessing,” the post read.

“Each tribe differs on how they treat the whale. Some try and return it to the sea ASAP for the carcass eaters.

“Other tribes dissect it for many purposes on the land. 

“The bones of these whales are sacred, and taken by local carvers .. . .  these bone carvings are our connection to the sea, and a gift valued by whoever receives one.”
DEWLP has supplied the following information:

It is an offence for people or their dogs to be within 300 metres of a whale.

Whales are protected under the Wildlife Act – regardless if they are alive or dead.

It is an offence under the Wildlife Act for members of the public to interfere, take or be in 
possession of parts of a dead whale.

The washing up of a dead whale presents a unique opportunity to study potential cause of death as well as other unique biological and ecological information. 

The information and samples taken will be accessible to researchers from around the world, through Museums Victoria.

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