Whale carcass removed, Town beaches remain closed to water users
Published on 02 October 2026
The whale carcass at South City Beach has been safely removed and transported to landfill following a significant multi-agency operation.
All Town of Cambridge beaches will remain closed to water users through the weekend as a precaution due to the continuing potential for residual material to attract sharks close to shore and pending further assessment of marine water quality.
The approximately 13-metre carcass was removed on 1 October, in a complex operation involving specialist heavy machinery, lifting equipment, experienced operators, and careful coordination. The Town thanks its staff, specialist crews, contractors, State Government agencies, and personnel who worked together tirelessly over several days to complete the operation safely.
A precautionary closure remains in place over the weekend, and this will be reassessed on 5 October. The closure applies to entering the water, including swimming, surfing and paddling. People must also prevent dogs from entering the water.
Relevant state government agencies have been consulted and support the Town’s precautionary decision to maintain the closures. The State Government SharkSmart website continues to recommend additional caution because residue from where the carcass was beached may continue to attract sharks to the area. A separate shark warning also remains in effect for Perth metropolitan waters following an increased number of tagged shark detections and sightings in recent days.
Statement attributable to Town of Cambridge Mayor Gary Mack
“The whale carcass has been safely removed from South City Beach, but the safety response is not yet over.
“All Town of Cambridge beaches will remain closed to water users through the weekend because residual material may continue to attract sharks close to shore, and further assessment of marine water quality is required.
“The affected beach and sand have been thoroughly cleaned and remediated. Where beach access is open, people may use the sand, but they must not swim, surf, paddle, or allow dogs to enter the water.
“DPIRD has been consulted and supports the Town’s precautionary decision to maintain the closures. The current SharkSmart advice also continues to recommend additional caution at City Beach.
“The Town plans to collect water samples on Monday and will review shark activity, official alerts, water conditions, and agency advice before making a further decision prior to Tuesday.
“We thank everyone involved in safely completing the removal operation and ask our community to continue supporting the response by remaining out of the water, following all signs and directions, and checking SharkSmart and the Town’s official channels for updates.”
Other updates:
Beach cleaned and remediated
South City Beach has been cleaned and remediated. Town staff and contractors inspected and manually cleared South City Beach, removing any remaining carcass material and transporting it to landfill. Sand visibly affected by whale fluids was excavated and removed, and the beach surface has been sifted and reinstated.
Environmental health advice indicates that following physical cleaning and exposure to sunlight, salt water, and tidal action, the residual public health risk associated with whale tissue or fluids on the sand has been mitigated.
While beach access is open, people must remain out of the water and comply with all signs and directions from lifeguards, Rangers, and other authorised officers.
Water sampling and review
The Department of Health has recommended microbiological testing of the marine water before reopening it for recreational use.
Subject to safe access and suitable conditions, the Town plans to collect water samples for analysis of E. coli and enterococci, which are standard indicators used to assess recreational water quality. The Town will receive these results on 5 October.
Water sampling is only one part of the assessment and will not determine whether sharks are present.
Before making a reopening decision, the Town will consider current and recent shark detections and sightings; the wider Perth metropolitan shark warning; the results or status of recreational-water sampling; and advice from DPIRD and other relevant agencies.
The Town expects to make a further decision on the closures before 6 October when the weather is expected to heat up. No reopening should be assumed until the Town makes a formal announcement.
Weekend patrols
Lifeguards and volunteers will patrol Town beaches over the weekend to advise people about the closures and reinforce the requirement to remain out of the water. Town Rangers will also support closure compliance as required.
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Media contact:
Matt Lau
Senior Media & Communications Advisor – Town of Cambridge
Communications@cambridge.wa.gov.au
(08) 9347 6059