Overview
- Officials confirmed an approximately 8‑metre, two‑year‑old humpback was entangled in the Coledale Beach shark net under the state’s Shark Meshing Program.
- Rescuers abandoned retrieval due to unsafe conditions and the carcass later washed ashore, with Wollongong City Council overseeing removal and a necropsy pending.
- Patrolled beaches near Scarborough, Coledale and Coalcliff were temporarily closed and authorities warned of heightened shark risk, with multiple shark sightings reported.
- A video appearing to show a person standing on the whale was referred to NSW National Parks and Wildlife, which has shared it with police for investigation under protection laws.
- The incident renewed calls from Greens and conservation groups to replace nets with non‑lethal measures, while the state notes 51 nets use acoustic deterrents and continues to review mitigation technology.