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Camera IconScenes from Long Point in Port Kennedy. Credit: Michael Wilson\/The West Australian<\/p>\nExperts are bracing for a grim outcome as a stranded 10-metre humpback whale in shallow water off Port Kennedy beach is unlikely to survive.<\/p>\n
The animal became stuck on a sandbank just metres from the shore in the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park on Wednesday, prompting authorities to close the beach, dispatch expert veterinarians and issue urgent warnings to the public over potential shark activity.<\/p>\n
Emergency crews were alerted around 11.15am after a member of the public spotted the struggling whale.<\/p>\n
Parks and Wildlife officers and Perth Zoo veterinarians spent Wednesday afternoon assessing the whale\u2019s condition, with authorities warning a rescue attempt was unlikely to be considered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were notified just before 11 this morning about the whale, so we\u2019ve been down here since that time making sure the whale\u2019s not under any extra stress, and making sure people are safe as well,\u201d Parks and Wildlife regional manager Benson Todd said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vets from Perth Zoo arrived an hour or so ago, so they\u2019re currently undertaking some assessments, and that\u2019ll help devise the next steps.\u201d<\/p>\n
Camera IconScenes from Long Point in Port Kennedy. Credit: Michael Wilson\/The West Australian<\/p>\n
Mr Todd said the whale\u2019s condition and the circumstances surrounding its stranding remained unclear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not sure why it has beached, why it is here today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHumpback whales migrate up and down the West Australian coast. There has been a couple of humpback whales in this area over the last couple of weeks. I\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s the same animal, but I guess long story short, we\u2019re not sure why the whale is here today.\u201d<\/p>\n
The whale had visible growth on its body, which Mr Todd said suggested it may not have been in a healthy condition before becoming stranded.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur focus now really is on the welfare of the whale and the safety of the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Todd said the whale\u2019s chances of survival were poor, with its weight placing enormous pressure on its internal organs while out of the water.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s likely not to be a great outcome, as sad as that is,\u201d Mr Todd said.<\/p>\n
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Camera IconScenes from Long Point in Port Kennedy today where a sub adult blue whale has beached. Michael Wilson Credit: Michael Wilson\/The West Australian<\/p>\n
\u201cWhales are designed to be supported by water at all times, so having an animal this large on the sand is not good for it. It\u2019s not a good sign at all.<\/p>\n
Rainy conditions on Wednesday provided some relief for the animal\u2019s skin, but were unlikely to change the overall prognosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in quite a good situation in that we don\u2019t have hot sun, which is a challenge for whales, we\u2019ve got the rain, so it\u2019s keeping its skin moist,\u201d Mr Todd said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s good in terms of comfort and welfare. But in terms of the overall outcome, it\u2019s unlikely to be a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Camera IconParks and Wildlife Regional Manager Benson Todd. Credit: Jackson Flindell\/The West Australian<\/p>\n
Should the whale pass away, Mr Todd said the whale was \u201clikely to be removed from the beach via machinery and taken away.\u201d<\/p>\n
The animal is believed to be sub-adult – which describes those old enough to have been weaned off its mother but yet to reach full maturity.<\/p>\n
The tragic scene attracted a crowd of concerned locals to the coastline, where reactions were mixed between heartbreak and a desperate urge to intervene.<\/p>\n
Cheryle Smith, 59, a local wildlife expert who pledged to stay at the beach overnight in the rain, said she had no intention of leaving the stranded whale.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been here for hours and I\u2019m not going anywhere,\u201d Ms Smith said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll stay overnight in the rain if I have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Smith said the whale appeared to be responding to the tide and moving on its own.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whale has been moving, it\u2019s still alive, it moves with the tide and on its own, it sways back and forth.\u201d<\/p>\n
She believed attempts to return the whale to deeper water would ultimately be futile.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will die here, it will pass away right here \u2014 if they send it out to sea it\u2019s just going to keep coming back. \u201cIt will probably pass by tomorrow morning\u2026we need to let nature take its course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople getting involved will do more harm than good. The ocean is my life, I\u2019ll do anything to help it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Others struggled to watch the animal suffer without taking action.<\/p>\n
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Camera IconScenes from Long Point in Port Kennedy today where a sub adult blue whale has beached. Michael Wilson Credit: Michael Wilson\/The West Australian<\/p>\n
Local resident Janelle Raumati, 30, rushed to the scene after hearing the news, arguing beachgoers should attempt a manual rescue.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came here as soon as I found out, a friend messaged me and I drove here straight away,\u201d Ms Raumati said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI rushed down because these animals, we\u2019re the voice of the animal, it\u2019s all of our duty as people of this earth to protect the animals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout them we are not what we are meant to be and vice versa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Raumati questioned the decision to keep members of the public away from the whale because of the shark risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing coming from police is that it\u2019s not safe for us to be in there because there\u2019s sharks, but they don\u2019t have confirmation that the animal is even sick or not,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo right now we should be helping this animal by pushing it out to sea, because whether he comes back in, at least we pushed him out to give him a chance, what if we don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Authorities have strictly reiterated that members of the public must maintain a safe distance from sick or injured marine mammals to avoid further stressing the animal and to protect themselves from physical harm.<\/p>\n