Beached whale in Glenelg is Adelaide Festival’s latest art installation

Beachgoers were brought to tears at Glenelg this morning, from the sight of a beached whale lying on the shore. But not all was as it seemed.

Beachgoers were brought to tears at Glenelg this morning, from the sight of a beached whale lying on the shore.

But not all was as it seemed.

Designed to deliver “a powerful statement about the environment and climate change”, the huge lifelike whale is part of the Adelaide Festival.

Mark Goldberg was one of the many people walking past Glenelg jetty on Saturday morning who saw the installation.

“I was standing on the jetty at 6.30am this morning and there was an older woman standing on the beach just crying,” he said.

“A lot of people were discussing whether it was real or not.”

The confusion led local residents and online readers to speculate for a few hours on whether the sighting was in fact a real whale or an art installation.

Even in photos posted online it is difficult to determine, the huge grey creature lying on its side only a few metres from the water.

Whale artwork at Glenelg Beach has drawn in crowds of curious onlookers on Saturday morning, some of them even shedding tears with what appears to be a beached whale lying on the shore. Picture: Russell Millard Photography

But residents at Glenelg beach confirmed they had seen a crane lower the huge lifelike whale onto the sand at 3am on Saturday morning, with the entire area cordoned off from the public.

It was later revealed the installation was created by Belgium-based group The Captain Boomer Collective, led by artist Bart Van Peel.

The whale has made appearances in major cities around the world including London, Paris, Warsaw and Madrid – but this is its first visit to Australia.

Katherine Sampson drove from Noarlunga to Glenelg after reading a headline this morning reporting a beached whale.

“We thought it was real when coming down here but once we saw it we had our suspicions,” Ms Sampson told The Advertiser.

. Actors were hired to imitate officials investigating the carcass. Picture: Craig Malin

Initially there was a lot of confusion among beachgoers as to whether the whale was real. Picture: Craig Malin

“It was really realistic but the more we looked at it – we could see paint flaking off when the scientists were watering down the whale.

“A man also walked up to it and knocked the whale’s body and it sounded like hitting a fibreglass kayak, it was loud and hollow.”

Ms Sampson guessed the point of the exhibit was to raise awareness on whales and the dangers they face

Meanwhile, onlooker Irene Psellos was convinced the whale was real.

“My husband went on a walk along the beach this morning and he messaged me saying he’d seen a whale carcass on the beach,” she said.

“So on my walk, I noticed all the people gathering around the jetty and then I see the whale.

“It’s an amazing spectacle.”

The art display is part of the Adelaide Festival and was created by Belgium-based group The Captain Boomer Collective, led by artist Bart Van Peel. Picture: Russell Millard Photography

The whale has made appearances in major cities around the world including London, Paris, Warsaw and Madrid but this is its first visit to Australia. Picture: Russell Millard Photography

The installation’s creator Mr Van Peel said he was thrilled to bring the whale to Glenelg beach.

“The beaching of a whale has always been a solemn event, serving as a gigantic metaphor for the disruption of our ecological system,” he said.

“It evokes a sense of disturbance in people’s bond with nature.”

Adelaide Festival artistic director Ruth Mackenzie described the installation as “art with purpose”.

“With our understanding of the effects of climate change on the planet, this theatre piece is a powerful tool to drive the message home,” she said.

“We hope it sparks discussions within our communities about the impacts of climate.”

The whale will be on display until 9pm on Saturday and Sunday, and from 10am to 6pm on Monday.