Dolphin with 'massive' shark bite found dead on Sydney beach
A dolphin has been found dead with a "massive" shark bite on a beach in the Sutherland Shire.
Michael Sutton, a local photographer in Cronulla, was out on his daily walk along Cronulla Beach where he usually captures the sunrise.
Mr Sutton received a call from a local surfer that there was something he might want to photograph just before 7am yesterday.
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Mr Sutton found the carcass just after 7am yesterday. Michael Sutton
"I went for a walk and found what I thought was a whale but it was actually a dolphin with a massive shark bite out of its side," Mr Sutton said.
The carcass, which was about two metres long, was found between Greenhills Beach and the boat harbour in Cronulla.
The shark bite in the side of the dolphin was about 60 centimetres wide.
It looked like the dead dolphin had been on the beach for a couple of hours.
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It looked like the dolphin had been on the beach for a couple of hours. Michael Sutton
Mr Sutton said there weren't many surfers out that morning.
"I saw that one surfer didn't go in because of it," he said.
There were no reports of shark sightings in the area but the carcass deterred swimmers and surfers from the water that morning.
Mr Sutton said he walks along the beach every morning and the dolphin carcass must be his most unusual find.
"I've missed a handful of sunrises over the past 15 years, this is my most unusual find, I'm there every day taking photos," he said.
"Normally I only find phones or GoPros from a big night out, so this was a bit unusual to see."
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Surfers were deterred from going into the water due to the carcass. Michael Sutton
Sutherland Shire Council worked with wildlife services to appropriately remove the carcass from the beach yesterday.
"Sutherland Shire Council's Ocean Safety and Lifeguard unit was alerted to a large dolphin carcass which had been washed ashore north of Wanda Beach, Cronulla, early yesterday," a spokesperson for Sutherland Shire Council said.
"Sutherland Shire Council thanks those members of the public who alerted our staff to the issue, ensuring that Council could swiftly engage relevant authorities and ensure the carcass could be promptly removed from the site."
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