Perth beach closed as whale carcass attracts great white sharks

A massive whale carcass has washed up near City Beach in Perth, Western Australia, attracting multiple great white sharks dangerously close to the shore. Authorities have closed several kilometers of beach to protect the public following a recent fatal shark attack at Sorrento Beach that killed 63-year-old Greg O’Neill.

Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis has issued a catch-and-kill order for the shark believed to be responsible for the previous fatality, while officials use the current situation to deploy equipment to mark and track sharks in the area. The Town of Cambridge is working to remove the 13-meter carcass, which may require heavy machinery and a truck to transport it to a landfill, a process expected to cost several hundred thousand dollars.

Despite the beach closures and warnings regarding the presence of sharks as large as five meters, crowds have gathered to observe the carcass. Marine scientists have noted that the decomposing remains may continue to attract predators for weeks as the scent permeates the area.