Juvenile whale removed after washing up dead on Byron Bay beach

A JUVENILE humpback whale has been removed from a beach after being found dead this morning.

A JUVENILE humpback whale has been removed from a beach after being found dead this morning.

Wildlife crews removed the 8.8m humpback whale carcass from Tallow Beach in Byron Bay, which washed up on shore.

National Parks And Wildlife ranger Keely Markobina said they, along with police and volunteer wildlife rehabilitation group ORRCA attended the scene.

National Parks and Wildlife help to remove an 8.8m juvenile humpback whale from Tallow Beach near Tallow Creek in Byron Bay after it washed ashore dead.

“The dead whale was reported to the police by a member of the public at 8.10am,” Ms Markobina said.

She said it was too early to know what caused the death of the whale, but said there were no obvious causes of death externally.

However, Ms Markobina said Dr Elizabeth Hawkins from Dolphin Research Australia, who was also assisting with the situation, helped take samples of the carcass to determine the reason behind the young mammal’s death.

National Parks and Wildlife staff work to remove a dead humpback whale from Tallow Beach.

At about 12pm an excavator was brought in to help remove the whale and Ms Markobina said the carcass would be buried off-site due to “issues” it would cause burying a whale on the beach.

National Parks and Wildlife help to remove an 8.8m juvenile humpback whale from Tallow Beach near Tallow Creek in Byron Bay after it washed ashore dead.

In October last year, a dead baby whale washed up on South Ballina beach and was buried by National Parks and Wildlife Services about 150 metres inland, before being exhumed and taken to the municipal tip by The Office of Environment and Heritage.