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Latest News
Close X14 September 2026
Looking for summer work? Join our team by the coast
Barwon Coast is recruiting at least 15 Casual Cleaning Officers to join our caravan park and campground team for the busy 2026-27 peak season.
9 September 2026
Barwon Heads Nature Festival returns this September
The Barwon Heads Nature Festival is back from Monday 21 to Friday 25 September
27 August 2026
New Hooded Plover nest at Thirteenth Beach
A new Hooded Plvoer nest has been discovered on 13th Beach
19 August 2026
Have your say on draft playground designs for Barwon Heads Caravan Park
Barwon Coast is inviting the community to help shape the designs of two playgrounds at Barwon Heads Caravan Park,
6 August 2026
Final Bancoora Coastal Adaptation Plan now available
The final Bancoora Coastal Adaptation Plan (CAP) is now available.
13th Beach Whale Carcass Update
Published on 26 September 2024
Latest and Final Update
The whale carcass was removed on Thursday October 3 2024. Read more from DEECA.
Background
In September 2024, a whale carcass washed ashore on 13th Beach, west of the Bluff near Barwon Heads. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) has confirmed it was a 14-metre-long Fin Whale, weighing approximately 16 tonnes.
Management Approach
After careful consideration of various factors, including logistics and public safety, the agencies involved (DEECA, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, Victorian Fisheries Authority, Parks Victoria and Life Saving Victoria) have collectively decided to allow the carcass to decompose naturally at this time.
Key Points
- Natural decomposition is part of the marine ecosystem along our coastline.
- The situation is being continuously monitored.
- Large swells and high tides may move the carcass, and the approach will be reassessed if necessary.
- Removal was not previously viable due to the whale’s size, stage of decomposition, location, limited machinery access, and weather conditions.
Public Safety Measures
Several actions were implemented to ensure public safety:
- An exclusion zone was been established around the carcass.
- New signage was installed at access points along 13th Beach and the Bluff.
- Life Saving Victoria are conducting regular drone surveys to monitor for sharks.
Beach Access
Swimmers and surfers are always advised to check the Vic Emergency website before entering the water.
Important Reminders
Whales are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, even when deceased. It is an offence to interfere with, take, or possess parts of a deceased whale. Report any inappropriate behaviour to Crime Stoppers Victoria.
Stay Informed
We are work closely with DEECA and followed their recommendations throughout this process.
For any enquiries, please contact DEECA directly.Current Situation
Background
In September 2024, a whale carcass washed ashore on 13th Beach, west of the Bluff near Barwon Heads. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) has confirmed it was a 14-metre-long Fin Whale, weighing approximately 16 tonnes.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/2Ahn1ZNjCX1Dursr/
Management Approach
After careful consideration of various factors, including logistics and public safety, the agencies involved (DEECA, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, Victorian Fisheries Authority, Parks Victoria and Life Saving Victoria) collectively decided to allow the carcass to decompose naturally at this time in the first instance.
Key Points
- Natural decomposition is part of the marine ecosystem along our coastline.
- The situation is being continuously monitored.
- Large swells and high tides may move the carcass, and the approach will be reassessed if necessary.
- Removal is not currently viable due to the whale’s size, stage of decomposition, location, limited machinery access, and weather conditions.
Public Safety Measures
Several actions have been implemented to ensure public safety:
- An exclusion zone has been established around the carcass.
- New signage has been installed at access points along 13th Beach and the Bluff.
- A shark warning remains in place for the area.
- Life Saving Victoria are conducting regular drone surveys to monitor for sharks.
Beach Access
- The beach outside the exclusion zone remains open.
- Swimmers and surfers are advised to check the Vic Emergency website before entering the water.
Important Reminders
- Whales are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, even when deceased.
- It is an offence to interfere with, take, or possess parts of a deceased whale. – Report any inappropriate behaviour to Crime Stoppers Victoria.
Stay Informed
For the most up-to-date information, please check the VicEmergency website or app.
We are working closely with DEECA and following their recommendations throughout this process. For any enquiries, please contact DEECA directly.
The carcass has been confirmed as a Fin Whale 
13th Beach, Barwon Heads Related Articles
Looking for summer work? Join our team by the coast
Barwon Coast is recruiting at least 15 Casual Cleaning Officers to join our caravan park and campground team for the busy 2026-27 peak season.
Barwon Heads Nature Festival returns this September
The Barwon Heads Nature Festival is back from Monday 21 to Friday 25 September
New Hooded Plover nest at Thirteenth Beach
A new Hooded Plvoer nest has been discovered on 13th Beach
Have your say on draft playground designs for Barwon Heads Caravan Park
Barwon Coast is inviting the community to help shape the designs of two playgrounds at Barwon Heads Caravan Park,
🌈🦜 Our noisy, colourful, busy neighbours!
You’ll often hear Rainbow Lorikeets before you see them – screeching and chattering as they race overhead .
With their bright red beaks, blue heads, green wings and backs, and orange-yellow breasts, they’re certainly not shy about standing out.
Rainbow Lorikeets are right at home in our coastal and urban landscapes, particularly wherever there are plenty of trees. They spend much of their time among flowering shrubs and trees, feeding on nectar and pollen, as well as fruit, seeds and the occasional insect.
And when the day is done? You might spot – or more likely hear – groups gathering together to roost at dusk.
Noisy, colourful and always busy – we reckon they bring plenty of personality to our coast. 💚
Learn more from BirdLife Australia: https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/rainbow-lorikeet/Open post by barwoncoast with ID 17877787428626563
🌿 The Barwon Heads Nature Festival is almost here!
From 21–25 September, Friends of the Bluff are bringing together an amazing program of events celebrating the wonderful natural environment of Barwon Heads. There’s lots to explore, including some fantastic events happening across our coastal foreshore reserves:
🥾 Monday 21 September – Explore Barwon Bluff, plus two Canoe the Mangroves sessions
🌱 Tuesday 22 September – Walk on Country @ Barwon Bluff with @Wadawurrung
🌊 Wednesday 23 September – Orchids in the Park, then Land, Sea, Sky slide night
🔬 Thursday 24 September – Tide & Seek: a family ‘marine science’ day
🧤 Friday 25 September – Barwon Heads Great Spring Clean Up, followed by the Turning the Tide short film festival that evening.
There’s plenty more happening throughout the festival too!
Explore the full program and find out how to get involved: https://www.barwonbluff.com.au/nature-festival/
Congratulations to Friends of the Bluff and everyone involved in putting together another fantastic celebration of our coast. 💚Open post by barwoncoast with ID 18003910007791685
🐌 Go searching for sea slugs at Barwon Bluff!🌊
Did you know Victoria is home to more than 400 species of colourful sea slugs?
Join Parks Victoria (@parksvic ) for a Sea Slug Census in the intertidal rockpools of the Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary and see what you can discover.
📅 Thursday 17 September
⏰ 9.30–11.30am
📍 Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary
Learn more about these fascinating marine creatures while helping contribute valuable observations to the Victorian Marine Parks Association database and iNaturalist.
Registrations are essential.
Find out more and register via www.parkconnect.vic.gov.au/volunteer-activities (search for `sea slug`)Open post by barwoncoast with ID 18062185166609315
A cuppa, a chat and an important question – R U OK? 💛
Today our team came together for an R U OK?Day morning tea and heard from our Employee Assistance Program provider about the confidential health and wellbeing support available to our staff and their families.
It was a great reminder to make time for genuine conversations – today and every day.
Ask R U OK? Any day. 💛
#RUOKDay #RUOK #WorkplaceWellbeingOpen post by barwoncoast with ID 18120793300911347
🥚 Hoodie nest update!
We’re pleased to share that there are currently two active Hooded Plover nests – at Blue Rocks and near Signpost at 13th Beach – each with three eggs. 🤞
Hoodies nest directly on the sand, and their tiny, camouflaged eggs can be almost impossible to spot. They’re also easily disturbed, so please give them plenty of space.
🩵 Keep close to the waterline
🩵 Keep dogs on lead near nesting areas
🩵 Stay outside fenced or roped-off areas
Six little eggs – fingers crossed we`ll see some little chicks! 🐣
#HoodedPlovers #BarwonCoastHoodieWatchOpen post by barwoncoast with ID 18088144943208650
💙 Happy Father’s Day!
Wishing a very happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful fathers and father figures in our community!
If you’re looking for something fun to do with Dad today and haven’t, ahem, made a solid plan yet… why not swing by the Barwon Coast Discovery Centre in Barwon Heads? 🐚
Housed in the historic Lobster Pot, there’s plenty to explore – from local marine life and wildlife to geology, shipwrecks and local history.
🦀 Open today, 1–4pm
📍 Jetty Road, Barwon Heads
🌊 Free entry – all ages welcome
Perfect for a little Father’s Day wander by the coast.
More information: https://barwoncoast.com.au/about-the-coast/barwon-coast-discovery-centre/Open post by barwoncoast with ID 18117019076289796
Species spotlight: Sooty Oystercatchers 🖤❤️
Have you spotted a Sooty Oystercatcher along our coast?
With their striking all-black plumage, long red bill and bright red eyes, these distinctive shorebirds are amazing to spot along our coast – although their dark colour can make them tricky to see against the basalt of our coastal reefs.
📸 A big thank you to Rod Morrison for these fantastic photos!
Got a great photo of local wildlife? We’d love to see it – share it with us in the comments or send it our way.
And if you’d like to learn more about the birds you might spot around Barwon Bluff, our friends at Friends of the Bluff Barwon Heads have put together some great information.
👉 Check out their Sky – Birds page: https://www.barwonbluff.com.au/sky-birds/
A quick reminder about bird flu: If you come across sick or dead birds along the coast, please don’t touch or handle them. Keep your distance, keep dogs away and report sightings to the relevant authorities. Reports of sick and dead birds are important in helping authorities monitor for avian influenza. More info: agriculture.vic.gov.au/birdfluOpen post by barwoncoast with ID 18405996016095836
🌊 The Barwon Coast Discovery Centre is back from this Sunday! 🐚
After a winter break, the doors of will be open this Sunday, and there’s plenty to discover inside.
Drop in and explore the stories of our coast – from local marine life, plants and wildlife to geology, shipwrecks and local history. You can also have a chat with one of the wonderful Friends of The Lobster Pot volunteers, who always have plenty of knowledge to share.
🦀 Open Sundays, 1–4pm
📍 Jetty Road, Barwon Heads
🌊 Free entry – all ages welcome
Come in, have a look around and discover something new about the coast .
More information: https://barwoncoast.com.au/about-the-coast/barwon-coast-discovery-centre/
#BarwonCoast #BarwonHeads #DiscoveryCentreOpen post by barwoncoast with ID 18119837329925682
🌸 Hello, spring! 🐝
As we welcome a new season, we’re feeling pretty lucky to experience this special stretch of coast in all its seasons.
There’s a lot to love about a coastal winter – wild seas, moody skies, quiet beaches and those crisp, clear days. But we’re also happy to see the first signs of spring appearing across the coastal foreshore.
Coastal plants are starting to flower, warmer days are sneaking in (along with some pretty hectic rain!) and Hooded Plover breeding season is underway once again. Please keep your fingers crossed for a successful season for these vulnerable little birds. 🤞🐦
Here’s to spring on the coast – new life, changing landscapes and plenty more wild weather along the way. 🌿🌊Open post by barwoncoast with ID 18223003876335922
We have Hooded Plover nest lift-off! 🥚
We have discovered this little nest on 13th Beach (Black Rock end) and are hoping to see a little family here in around four weeks` time. Our keen-eyed staff have also noticed scrapes (Hoodies usually lay their eggs in shallow scrapes in the sand) at Stingray Bay, Breamlea, and near @13thbeachslsc - exciting!
When enjoying the coast, beachgoers are asked to help protect this nest by:
🩵 Walking close to the waterline
🩵 Keeping well clear of fenced or roped-off areas
🩵 Keeping dogs on-lead and away from sensitive dune areas
🩵 Giving the birds plenty of space so they do not abandon their eggs
Every small action helps give Hooded Plovers the best chance to hatch and thrive. Thank you for taking care on our beaches.Open post by barwoncoast with ID 18079966946333677
This is Wadawurrung Country. We acknowledge the Wadawurrung People as the Traditional Owners of the land, waters, seas and skies of Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, 13th Beach, Black Rock and Breamlea. We honour and say Nyatne to Elders past, present and future whose ancestors, for thousands of years, have cared for this part of Dja (Country). We are committed as an organisation to meaningfully work together with Traditional Owners to make Wadawurrung Culture and Country strong.
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