Teen dances on beached whale as authorities warn of health risks
A Perth teenager filmed themselves dancing on a decomposing 31-tonne humpback whale at City Beach in a now-deleted TikTok video.
A young person jumped onto a beached whale at City Beach and performed the Griddy dance move while recording on TikTok. Officials swiftly condemned the act.
The now-deleted video showed the teenager climbing over the decomposing 31-tonne mammal. A wave struck the whale and jolted them off-balance.
They sat down on the carcass and slid off. Town of Cambridge mayor Gary Mack called the act very inappropriate.
He warned of serious dangers: unknown bacteria in the carcass, sharks in the water, and structural risks. The fact that a whale's lost its life is one thing, and it's not a play thing, Mack said.
Authorities set up an exclusion zone around the animal. Contractors prepared to remove it to a landfill.
- 31 tonnes
- Whale mass
- 13 metres
- Whale length
- Griddy
- Dance move
- City Beach, Perth
- Location
Why it mattersThe incident highlights risks from viral social media stunts near wildlife. It also shows the dangers of treating dead animals as entertainment props.
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