Whale washes into Sydney ocean pool

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Sorry, this video has expired Video: Dead whale washes ashore in Sydney (The Midday Report)

A dead humpback whale has washed up in an ocean pool at Newport Beach, on Sydney's northern beaches.

There is a sign saying "beach closed due to whale carcass" warning locals not to swim, but some surfers ignored the risk of sharks attracted by the creature.

Callers to 702 ABC Sydney described the scene.

"It's smashed the railings in where it's washed in over. So it's just lodged there in the pool at the southern end of the beach," one said.

National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesman Jeff Ross says it is not unusual to see old or sick humpbacks wash up in big seas.

"What happens is they'll die at sea and usually that's all dealt with by those big predators that are sitting out there offshore," he said.

"In big seas the predators don't get the opportunity to deal with the carcass so it often washes in and we've seen that on several occasions over the last few years."

He says it will be a challenge to dispose of the carcass.

"Being a sub-adult it's around 10 to 20 metres in length and that makes it around 20, 25, 30 tonne," Mr Ross said.

"So it's a mammoth task for council and National Parks and Wildlife to work with, but I'm sure we'll be able to return that pool to its swimmers by this time tomorrow."

Local Rod Bezer says he cannot see any injuries or marks on the whale.

"I don't think I can see what's hit it," he said.

"We had a whale wash up on Newport Beach in the last year, a sperm whale, but it had been dead for a month. This one looks as though it could have just died even in the last 24 hours."

Despite its condition witnesses say the carcass already smells.

Topics: animals, newport-beach-2106, nsw

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