The dead sperm whale that washed up on Sydney's Newport Beach on Wednesday is to be cut up and removed. Authorities have been worried that oil and blood leaking from the carcass may attract sharks to the beach. It was first suggested that it should be towed back out to sea but as the tail of the carcass has been bitten off that idea was abandoned.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service has now decided to cut the whale up into smaller sections and remove it. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, more than a dozen rangers armed with chainsaws will reduce the carcass to one metre sections, each weighing a tonne, lift them by excavator and then remove them by truck.

The lower part of the whales jaw has already been removed and donated to the Australian Museum for scientific purposes.

The carcass should be completely removed by Friday afternoon. //STUART NETTLE

(All images by Silke Photo)