Humpback whale washes ahore Rio de Janeiro beach

Authorities removed a 12 meter long (40 foot) humpback whale from a beach in Rio de Janeiro on Monday (August 11). The massive mammal was already decomposing when it washed ashore on Macumba beach in the Recreio neighbourhood of western Rio earlier in the day. The beach was cleared of swimmers as a team of lifeguards armed with ropes pulled the beast from the crashing waves. In the end it took two tractors and a crane to remove the 20 to 30 tonne beast from the beach. It was unclear how the animal, which was estimated to be between 10- and 12-years old, died. Humpbacks head north from Antarctica this time of year and swim along the South American coast past Argentina and Uruguay towards Brazil.