Work crews succeeded in removing the 13-metre humpback whale carcass from south City Beach on Thursday morning, three days after it washed ashore and began attracting multiple great white sharks, including one more than five metres long seen swimming just 10 metres offshore.
The Town of Cambridge coordinated the removal operation. An excavator initially brought in on Wednesday proved unable to safely lift the 31-tonne carcass, so a large crane was hired and brought to the site on Thursday morning. The carcass is expected to be taken to landfill.
South City Beach remains closed to the public until further notice. Authorities have warned that the carcass continues to attract sharks to the area. The beach had drawn hundreds of sightseers earlier in the week, with many gathering for selfies despite the danger.
Fisheries officers deployed opportunistic drum lines on Tuesday, catching, tagging and releasing two great white sharks that had been lured close to the shore. Similar measures were expected again on Wednesday and may continue as long as heightened shark activity persists.
The carcass was first reported early on Monday, September 28. Its presence attracted multiple great white sharks, with some circling within metres of the surf line, prompting the beach closure and a significant public safety response. The species involved has been identified as a humpback whale.