Turkey Beach resident Justin Western found the dead humpback whale calf last week

Turkey Beach resident said he was frustrated to find out people were organising trips on social media to go and see the dead animal.

Mr Western said he and his wife were immediately upset upon discovering the whale calf had beached itself and died.

A frustrated Gladstone region resident has expressed his concerns people may glorify his discovery of a dead humpback whale calf.

Turkey Beach man Justin Western said he and his wife were bringing their tinny onto the beach near Eurimbula last Friday afternoon when they made the grizzly discovery.

Mr Western said he and his wife were immediately upset upon discovering the whale calf had beached itself and died.

“We thought it was a shark at first from a distance so we pulled up on the beach in the boat, got out and realised it was a baby humpback,” Mr Western said.

Mr Western said he and his wife felt an immediate sense of sadness the calf had died.

“As we got closer we were both hoping it was alive so that we could drag it into the water, but no it was dead when we got there,” he said.

“I think it may have only washed up that morning, it was fresh and didn’t stink or anything like that.”

Mr Western said he was frustrated to find out people were organising trips on social media to go and see the dead animal.

“It’s not a sideshow, I purposefully didn’t post on the Friday because I didn’t want it to get immediate public attention,” he said.

Eurimbula resident Justin Western said the dead whale that washed ashore near Turkey Beach was not a sideshow to attract residents.

“There were some pretty nasty comments floating around on social media, just people trying to be funny.

“I can’t believe that we as Australians are really happy that we’ve got a dead whale on our beach.”

A young woman was critised for straddling a dead shark on a Queensland beach in 2014.

She said it was a joke and she loved animals.

Mr Western said that as sad as it was, the whale calf was still amazing to see.

“But it is not like that is what you go out hoping to see,” he said.

Mr Western said it was not the first time he had found a dead whale on a beach.

“I actually found one down near Stradbroke Island years ago which measured about 11 or 12 metres in length,” he said.

Mr Western said he had alerted the relevant authorities about the whale, but had his own solution for it.

“Land animals are going to eat it or it will just float back out and be eaten by sea animals, it’s just what happens in nature,” he said.

A Department of Environment and science spokesman said they had received a report of the deceased whale and contacted Gladstone Regional Council.

“The Gladstone Regional Council is responsible for the beach and will manage the removal of the deceased whale,” the spokesman said.

“Strandings can happen for many different reasons, including natural mortality, and can occur anywhere along the Queensland coast. Whales would also die at sea, unseen by the public.

“We can expect to see a small number of deaths each year as whale populations increase. This includes whales suffering from natural disease issues and juveniles being attacked by predators.”

The spokesman said if a whale is stranded in shallow water, be wary of entering the water, as sharks may be around or the whale could move and injure you.

“It is best to avoid contact with marine animals, as they can carry diseases,” he said.

“All reported sightings of stranded marine life, including whales, should be reported immediately to DES on 1300 130 372 or to the relevant council.”