Warning: Graphic content.<\/p>\n
A whale carcass has washed ashore at Victoria\u2019s Bells Beach, prompting authorities to issue a shark alert.<\/p>\n
Victoria Emergency issued the alert on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to a whale carcass there could be an increase in shark activity at Bells Beach,\u201d the alert said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA whale carcass can attract sharks to the area and mean they are closer to the shore than normal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile it is not uncommon for sharks to be present off the Victorian coast, you should exercise additional caution in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anyone planning to enter the water should not do so at closed beaches, the alert said.<\/p>\n
The Victorian Fisheries Authority is also monitoring for shark sightings.<\/p>\n
A cafe worker at nearby Jan Juc said images of the whale were circulating online.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was definitely dead,\u201d she told NewsWire.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was more or less a carcass and it was washed up on Bells Beach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looked like it had only just happened today.\u201d<\/p>\n
The whale appeared to be a calf, and images from people out walking on Bells Beach in the morning did not show any workers attempting to remove the body, the cafe worker said.<\/p>\n
Bells Beach hosts the World Surf League Rip Curl Pro every Easter. This year\u2019s event was the 63rd edition, and organisers say it is the longest-running competitive surf event in the world.<\/p>\n
Bells Beach is a rural area, about 90km southwest of Melbourne, near the towns of Torquay and Jan Juc on the Great Ocean Road.<\/p>\n