Flesh and liquid from the sub-adult whale measuring about 20 metres has washed into the ocean, leaving a trail which has drawn sharks from afar.

One family which ventured to the secluded rocky beach in a rubber dinghy to view the carcass reportedly saw a shark leap out of the water to kill a seal.

“If these people had fallen into the water it could have been very life-threatening for them,” said Mandy Watson, Warrnambool-based senior regional biodiversity officer with the Department of Environment and Primary Industries.

“People shouldn’t go out in small boats and jet skis looking for the whale.

“I’ve contacted Cape Bridgewater Surf Life Saving Club to warn of the risks of increased sharks in the area.

“A fisherman also reported a three-and-a-half-metre shark off Port Fairy. It could have been heading over to Cape Bridgewater.”

CSIRO researchers gathering national data on great white sharks have also been attracted by the opportunity to glean information.

 “Whale stranding events are always of interest to us because they can attract a number of shark (and other) species to the area,”  Hobart-based CSIRO scientist Russell Bradford said.

“It  is a natural scavenging act to help clean up the environment. The high blubber content of whales means that there will be leaching from the carcass for some time. 

“I would certainly encourage people to be sensible and not go out in small boats or swim in the area.

 “We hope a tagged female white shark will lead us to the juvenile nursery area on the south or west coast.”