INTERNATIONAL: The sharks were spotted feeding frezy on the 12-metre-long carcass of a whale about 100 metres offshore at Rottnest Island on Tuesday morning, forcing authorities to shut several popular swimming spots.

Local authorities have reported that there were around 30 sharks feeding on the whale, including tiger sharks and bronze whalers. The species of whale has not yet been determined. The carcass was first spotted on Monday afternoon about one kilometer north of Bathurst Point with four sharks surrounding it, but floated closer to the Thomson Bay ferry jetty by Tuesday, about 100 metres away from the populated shore.

Thomson Bay, Pinky Beach, The Basin and Longreach Bay beaches were shut on Tuesday morning while fisheries officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Rottnest Island Rangers monitor the situation.

Authorities have added that while it was not uncommon for sharks to be present off the coast throughout the year, people should exercise additional caution if they chose to swim at other beaches around the island. In the meantime, an unrelated shark warning was issued for Port Beach after the Surf Life Saving helicopter spotted a 2.5-metre shark 100 metres offshore on Tuesday morning.