There’s a dark side to Australia’s annual whale migration that most tourists don’t see. Not all humpbacks survive the gruelling 10,000km swim from Antarctica to the tropics, and their bodies wash up on beaches along the route.
On Tuesday, authorities warned beachgoers to stay away from a carcass found at Kingscliff Beach between Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, warning it was a biohazard. After examining markings on its tail, Griffith University whale expert Dr Olaf Meynecke has concluded it’s almost certainly the same animal that was freed by rescuers less than a week ago after it became tangled in fishing gear.
“The whale was extremely sick and looked like it was going to die,” he told Yahoo News.
Why the bodies of most dead whales are never found
Only around 10 or 20 per cent of whales that become entangled are successfully assisted by rescuers. Some free themselves, and many simply die. Increasingly, humpbacks are documented with scars caused by ropes from fishing gear or shark nets, but it’s unknown how many in total survive the ordeal.
Many of the commercial fishing ropes used today are made of cheap plastic, which cuts into the skin, inflicting injuries too severe to heal. Other whales lose too much energy from dragging gear behind them. Meynecke estimates the whale at Kingscliff was tangled for months, and was abandoned by other whales before human help finally came.
“They do call for assistance when they are in danger or in distress, and other whales will come and try to assist, even lift them up. But there comes a certain point where they just give up, and then they generally just die alone,” he said.
Markings on the whale’s tail seen in rescue footage (bottom) match those of the animal washed up dead on the beach (top). Source: Sea World/Nicola Jones
Meynecke believes the whale died around September 11, was pushed out to sea and its blubber scavenged by sharks, leading to its rotten appearance. While several like it are found beached every year, most die without anyone ever knowing.
“They only wash up if they’re really close to shore. They have to be floating and the wind and current conditions would have to be right. The majority are too far offshore — even a few kilometres out means they’ll usually sink at sea,” Meynecke said.
Queensland’s department of environment (DETSI) told Yahoo News it has received 14 confirmed reports of deceased humpbacks this year, which is within average. It encouraged anyone to report them via its QWildlife app.
The NSW department of environment (DCCEEW) has recorded six whale carcasses washed up in 2025 and the same number in 2024, which is higher than some previous years. It attributes a recent increase in mortalities to the “significantly higher” number of humpbacks migrating along the coast.
While data is collected by DCCEEW, it notes this is not a complete rocked, as many whales carcasses float out to sea, and others wash up at remote locations. Source: DCCEEW
Should we be freeing all entangled whales?
Freeing a whale from entanglement is risky for rescuers, and it’s stressful for the whale. Meynecke would like to see more research into understanding how likely it is that an animal survives the ordeal in the long term.
“We don’t seem to be following what happens after we disentangle them,” he said. “Is it worth risking people’s lives when the chances are small?”
Another humpback whale was found dead at Burnie in Tasmania. Source: Sheree Jones
Why do whales die during their migration?
Separately, another whale was found washed up on a beach at Burnie on Tasmania’s northwest coast on Tuesday. Its condition was much better than the NSW animal, which is probably because the waters are colder. Large circular bite marks can be seen in its flesh, which are likely due to sharks and small fish, but the cause of its death is currently unknown.
There has been an increase in the number of whales found dead on beaches, but the contributing factors are not all negative. East Antarctic whale numbers plummeted to around 300 individuals in the 1960s, primarily due to hunting by the Soviets. After whaling was banned a decade later, numbers rebounded, and in 2025, they’re estimated to be close to 40,000.
Commercial operators with specialised equipment were brought in to assist on the job this week. Source: Tweed Shire Council
The Burnie whale had large bite marks in its flesh. Source: Sheree Jones
Climate change is causing food shortages in Antarctica, and whales are leaving on their migration earlier, often with less blubber to sustain them. On their journey, they face increasing threats from shipping traffic, noise, and discarded fishing gear.
It’s generally the younger humpbacks that are found stranded on beaches, because they’re less experienced and not as well fed as adults, and sometimes mothers fail to produce enough milk. But they also tend to migrate closer to shore, meaning they’re more likely to be discovered beached.
Looking generally at humpback strandings, the majority happen during the southern migration after they have already travelled for thousands of kilometres, and may have lost weight from not feeding often.
“The ones that are not fit enough, they just tend to die,” Meynecke said.
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