Massive grave dug after sad death of humpback whale at Lennox Head

A young humpback whale has been buried in the dunes near where it became beached at Lennox Head. INCREDIBLE PICTURES

A whale died after becoming beached at Lennox Head. Picture: Craig Parry

A massive grave has been dug for a young humpback whale in the dunes near to where it beached at Lennox Head on the northern NSW coast.

Volunteer rescue group the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) said that the 30 tonne male sadly died on Saturday after refloat attempts and 10 hours of emergency care, including shade, posture and pain relief.

A team of people attempted to refloat the whale. Picture: Craig Parry

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service project officer Dr Duan March led the refloat operation supported by ORRCA, Sea World Research Rescue & Conservation and Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

CEO and founder of the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital Dr Stephen Van Mil said that the Balina Shire Council consulted with the Jali local Aboriginal land council who requested it be buried followed by a cultural ceremony.

A team of people attempted to refloat the whale. Picture: Craig Parry

“We have to honour the cultural significance of whales to First Nations people,” he said.

Dr Van Mil said that the placement of the burial site also took into consideration concerns about an increase in shark activity if the whale’s remains went into the ocean.

“But I understand that the whale was very quite away from the shore break so I think that risk is very, very minimal,” he said.

A team of people attempted to refloat the whale. Picture: Craig Parry

His team, including Dr Bree Talbot and Dr Chantal Whitten, arrived within an hour of the initial report and gave the whale a sedative after blood samples found it was in good health but very stressed.

“It was just past low tide when we all arrived and so we really had to sort of bide our time as high tide wasn‘t until 7pm,” he said.

A team of people attempted to refloat the whale. Picture: Craig Parry

“We all agreed as a group that 4pm was going to be a turning point as the water could be high enough with enough room for the vehicles and people and that we may be able to get the whale out.”

“There was a lot of digging involved, his left pectoral fin was caught under the sand and so there was a lot of effort involved in trying to dig that out,” he said.

“We looked at trying to get trawlers down there to get ropes and harnesses but the conditions and the sandbars precluded that.”

The whale sadly died after a long fight. Picture: Craig Parry

At 4.35pm the whale, estimated to be five years old, was declared deceased and Dr Van Mil said an enormous sense of sadness hit the team.

“Such a magnificent animal, I mean, within 12 hours of having been discovered he passed away, in spite of all the care, attention, planning and monitoring,” he said.

“So there’s certainly a sense of sadness and disappointment.”

A young humpback whale died after becoming beached at Lennox Head. Picture: Craig Parry.