Sad end to desperate effort to save baby whale after shark attack

A baby whale, which appears to have been attack by a shark, beached itself on K’gari (Fraser Island) with desperate locals trying to save it by digging around it with shovels.

A baby whale has been euthanised after authorities determined it would not survive going back out to sea without it mother.

The baby whale beached itself on K’gari (Fraser Island) on Tuesday (August 15) after it was reportedly attacked by a shark.

Rosemarie Vernon put out a plea on social media as she filmed two men with shovels digging around the whale to keep water on it.

‘We’ve been here for an hour or so already and he’s lively. We’ve been washing him down. He’s going well. He’s breathing.

“The more hands on deck the faster we can get him in the ocean.’’

“Please come. We are halfway from the N’gkala (Rocks) to the Cape.’

A baby whale has washed up on K'gari (Fraser Island) with people trying to save it. It is just past N’gkala Rocks near Cape.

The baby whale appeared to have shark bites in the side and tail like a shark has chased it.

It could have been swimming with a pod and might have been the smallest and easiest target for a shark.

A few hours later Ms Vernon posted an update to say that rangers had turned up.

“It’s nearly a new born and probably wouldn’t survive without his mum. There is someone coming up from Eurong to (euthanise) the bub. Very sad.”

A Department of Environment and Science spokesman confirmed the whale had been checked by a vet and due to its size and age was sadly euthanised.

A baby whale has washed up on K'gari (Fraser Island) with people trying to save it.

The death is latest in a series on the Queensland coast stretching as far north as the Whitsundays.

A Bryde’s whale washed up on the north shore of a K’gari beach in June, a day before the start of the school holidays.

Humpback whale calf washed up on 75 Mile beach, K’gari. Picture: Liam Kidston

It was the third whale to die on the Fraser Cooloola Coast in a week, after a humpback died in the mouth of the Susan River on Friday, June 16, and another humpback was found dead on the beach between Rainbow Beach and Inskip Point.

In July, a beautiful humpback whale died despite frantic efforts by Whitsunday locals to save it.

The alarm was raised when it was found stranded at Conway Beach, about 25 kilometres from Airlie Beach.

Experts say with more than 30,000 humpbacks migrating up to Queensland waters to breed and calve, strandings and deaths should be expected.

Generally people are advised to not to touch sick, stranded whales as they can carry diseases.