Andrew Bond, Hunter Central Coast area manager of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPSW), said the whale carcass had to be broken up into manageable pieces before it was removed from the beach on Thursday.

“Contractors working with our NPWS team with a heavy excavator were able to load the whale into a six wheel truck before transporting it on to a low loader,” he said.

“From there it was transported to the burial site, a couple of kilometres from the coast in a former sand mined area, which by its very nature was already significantly disturbed and had no archaeological material.”

Mr Bond said the operation went well and had to be carefully planned in terms of working with suitable tides.

ALSO READ: Whale carcass washed up on One Mile, beach closed

He thanked the community for their cooperation during the two days.

Port Stephens Council was forced to close One Mile Beach and parts of Samurai on Wednesday morning after the heavily decomposed carcass washed ashore on Tuesday due to “a risk of increased shark activity”.

The beaches were reopened on Friday morning.

The carcass, a 10-plus metre semi-mature sperm whale, weighed more than three tonnes.

It washed up onto the northern end of One Mile Beach near rocks.

Anna Bay surfers Nev Gear, Peter Mahafey and John Nelson arrived at One Mile Beach on Wednesday morning to get a closer look at the dead whale. 

They believed the carcass had been in the water for some time before washing up onto the sand.

“I have been surfing here for more than 30 years and this is the first time I have seen a beached whale on this beach,” Mr Gear said.

“There was a similar incident a couple of years ago at Rocky Point, a little further north but this is an overwhelming sight on One Mile.

“I don’t think I will be surfing around these parts for a few days.”

Sperm whales can grow to a maximum length of 18m for males and 12m for females, with a maximum weight of 57,000kg.