An operation is underway to remove a whale carcass that washed up a NSW beach.
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MidCoast Council is working with other agencies to remove and dispose of the eight-metre carcass which landed on Old Bar Beach, near Taree on the NSW mid north coast.
Two sections of the remains, which are mostly skeletal, washed up about 500 metres north of the surf club, with the head a further 250 metres north.
"MidCoast Council is working closely with the NSW Department of Primary Industry - Crown Lands and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to remove the carcass from the beach and dispose of it in landfill," council's community spaces, recreation and trades manager Dan Aldridge said.
"We have obtained necessary approvals from those agencies and the operation is underway."
Council believes it's the same whale that was spotted off the coast of Forster over the weekend.
The carcass was brought to the attention of authorities on Tuesday when it was mistaken for a capsized boat.
About 3.15pm, Taree Old Bar Surf Life Saving Club members headed out to assess the situation and determined it was the carcass.
Hunter Local Land Services marine and estuary officer Brian Hughes had a brief look at the carcass after it washed ashore on Wednesday morning.
Given the state of the carcass, he said it would be near impossible to determine how it died.
"I could see some of the skeleton," Mr Hughes said.
He had never seen a washed-up whale carcass that had broken up into bits before.
"I've only seen about half a dozen whales wash up before," he added.
Normally, the body stays together when washed up or completely decomposes, he said.
There were bite marks evident along the fin but the skeletal remains ensured any attempt to determine how the whale died would be nothing more than a guess.
Surfers and swimmers are urged to be careful in the water with a likelihood of increased shark activity.
