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Officials in Sydney have shut two popular beaches after a dead young whale washed up on rocky shores.
Level 1 · Easy
A dead whale washed up on rocks at Lurline Bay in Sydney on Thursday morning. It is believed to be a young humpback whale.
Because of this, officials closed two popular nearby beaches, Coogee and Maroubra. Dead whales can attract sharks, so swimming and surfing are banned for safety.
Leaders say they will not move the animal. They want nature to break it down naturally. Indigenous rangers are helping care for the site because the whale is a sacred animal to the local Bidjigal people.
Level 2 · Medium
Officials in Sydney, Australia, have closed Coogee and Maroubra beaches after a dead whale washed up on Thursday morning. The heavily broken-down body, believed to be a young humpback whale, was discovered at Lurline Bay, a rocky area between the two beaches.
Local authorities banned swimming and surfing as a because whale remains can draw sharks to the coast. Randwick Council Mayor Dr Clare Willington explained that the area has been fenced off, and drone patrols may be added to monitor the water.
The council has decided not to move the whale. Instead, staff are cooperating with the Gamay Rangers, an Indigenous ranger team. To the local Bidjigal people, the whale is an important animal. In the past, sending dead whales to rubbish dumps caused distress to the community.
The was first noticed near Manly on Wednesday, where people tried to tow it out to sea. Experts say wind and sea waves might keep it trapped on the rocks, but nature will slowly break it down.
Level 3 · Real news English
Two well-known beaches in Sydney have been closed to swimmers and surfers after a dead whale washed ashore. The badly , thought to be a humpback, was spotted on Thursday morning trapped on rocks at Lurline Bay, between Coogee and Maroubra beaches.
Randwick Council shut both beaches until further notice to protect the public, warning that whale remains often attract sharks. Dr Clare Willington, the council’s mayor, said the area was to prevent crowds from disturbing the animal. While no extra shark sightings have been confirmed yet, the council contacted Surf Life Saving about introducing extra drone flights over the bay.
Authorities confirmed there are currently no plans to take the body away. Instead, they are working alongside the Gamay Rangers, an Indigenous group operating within the area of the Local Aboriginal Land Council of La Perouse. The whale holds deep cultural meaning as a animal for the local Bidjigal people. Gamay Rangers manager Robert Cooley explained that earlier incidents where beached whales were dumped in landfill had caused deep pain to his people.
Cooley noted that strong winds and ocean swells might make it difficult for the tide to wash the carcass back into the open sea. However, because the body is already in an advanced state of decay, natural processes will eventually break it down. Ropes found on the whale came from an earlier attempt to tow it out into deep water on Wednesday, after it was first seen near Manly.
Meanwhile, in Tasmania, emergency teams and police were also dealing with another marine emergency after a large whale became trapped in water off Turners Beach.
Words to learn
- carcass — لاش (laash): the dead body of an animal “Vultures circled in the sky above the animal carcass.”
- decomposed — گلا سڑا (gala sada): decayed or broken down naturally after death “The fallen leaves slowly decomposed into rich soil.”
- juvenile — کم عمر (kam umar): young, or not yet fully grown “The bird was still a juvenile and could not fly far.”
- precaution — احتیاط (ehtiyaat): an action taken to prevent future trouble or danger “Wearing a helmet is a sensible safety precaution.”
- cordoned off — گھیرے میں لے لیا (gheeray mein le liya): blocked or closed by police or officials using a barrier “Police cordoned off the street after the traffic accident.”
- totem — مقدس علامت (muqaddas alamat): an animal or plant respected as a sacred symbol by a group “The eagle was revered as a tribal totem.”
- swell — سمندری لہریں (samandari lehraiñ): a series of large, rolling ocean waves “The boat rocked gently on the ocean swell.”
- shallow — کم گہرا (kam gehra): having little depth; not deep “The children played safely in the shallow water near the shore.”
Quick quiz
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Why were Coogee and Maroubra beaches closed?
- A dead whale washed up and could attract sharks.
- A severe storm damaged the shoreline.
- People were protesting on the sand.
- Oil spilled into the bay from a boat.
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What type of whale is the dead animal believed to be?
- An adult blue whale
- A young humpback whale
- A killer whale
- A grey whale
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What does the word 'precaution' mean?
- A dangerous ocean animal
- A cultural celebration
- An action taken to avoid danger
- A deep opening in the rocks
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Why are officials avoiding taking the carcass to a landfill?
- The coastal roads are too narrow for trucks.
- The whale is an important cultural totem to local Indigenous people.
- A local university asked to study the intact skeleton.
- The animal is still alive and breathing.
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Where was the carcass first spotted before washing up at Lurline Bay?
- In Tasmania
- In Melbourne
- Off Turners Beach
- Near Manly