Dead whale tested for bird flu after washing up on beach near Brisbane

A dead whale that washed up on a Sunshine Coast beach has been tested for bird flu before being dragged out to sea.

The 6.7 metre female juvenile humpback died of unknown circumstances, and was seen floating between Point Cartwright and Mudjimba, near Alexandra Headland, about 4pm on Tuesday.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service alerted the local council, and the whale washed up at Alex Beach roughly an hour later.

Council officers worked overnight to secure an exclusion zone around the carcass.

“Our team collected samples and measurements which they will submit to the authorities for research purposes along with a strandings report,” a Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said.

A GPS tracker was attached to the whale before was dragged about 40 kilometres out to sea at first light, with council officers ready to intervene should it start to drift towards the shore again.

“Data collected will support the future management of carcasses,” the council spokesperson said.

Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli said it was “extremely sad to see such a majestic animal like this”, and thanked locals for keeping their distance.