Several popular beaches south of Sydney have been closed due to an elevated risk of sharks in the area, following the discovery of a massive whale carcass.
Whale carcass triggers warning
The warning was issued after a 25-tonne partial whale carcass washed ashore on Era Beach in the Royal National Park on Saturday morning. Lifesavers discovered the remains, which are expected to be removed later this week.
Nine beaches within the park have been closed for the Anzac weekend and are anticipated to remain shut for the public holiday on Monday. Affected beaches include Garie, Wattamolla, Era, and Burning Palms.
Increased shark activity
Surf Life Saving NSW has advised visitors to stay out of the water due to heightened shark activity. 'We know that there are some great white sharks that have been sighted around the carcass and some bull shark sightings there,' said Brendon Neilly, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's royal area manager, speaking to ABC.
'The advice is not necessarily avoid the area, but stay out of the water. We've been liaising closely with several of the Surf Life Saving Clubs and also Surf Life Saving Sydney to ensure swimmers and beach users are safe, and the beaches in that location are currently closed.'
Patrols and closures
Lifesavers are patrolling the water using jetskis and drones. The closures will remain in place until the risk has subsided. The affected areas include Figure Eight Pools, Garawarra Farm carpark, Garie Beach picnic area, Governor Game lookout, North Era campground, Palm Jungle loop track, Royal National Park Visitor Centre, The Coast track, and Wattamolla picnic area.
