A 12.7m humpback whale was discovered by walkers on Big Hill beach, south of Crescent Head, early Thursday morning, June 28.
There were immediate fears the female whale was still alive but National Park and Wildlife Services Rangers arrived on the scene at 7am and determined the marine mammal had been dead for a number of days.
A decision was made to remove the whale and National Park and Wildlife Services ranger, Andy Marshall told the Fairfax Kempsey publication, Macleay Argus it was their only option.
“We can no longer bury whales on the beach as there are suggestions it can be a risk to human health and safety,” Mr Marshall said.
“Our only choice was to remove the whale from the beach and have an offsite burial.”
The whale began to bloat and it tripled in size over the space of four hours.
An exclusion zone was set up in case the whale exploded, however, it fortunately deflated through its mouth.
Two excavators were required to maneuver the whale to the south side of the beach, where a crane was used to lift the creature onto a truck.
The vehicle then transported the whale to its burial site.
The cause of death of the whale is unknown but there was no external damage or signs of human interference.
