Council Director Matt Rogers said the whale carcass was removed by lunch with the afternoon dedicated to pumping whale liquid from the burial site.

The smell from the operation was strong in the immediate area of the extraction site, though wind pushed the smell north in the afternoon.

The process was on track to finish on Monday but with a broken pump the liquid extraction may continue into Tuesday.

Mr Rogers also said that council and experts had been monitoring and inspecting the beach throughout the day to ensure when the beach does re-open, the public remains safe; though it will still take a few days at this stage. 

Road closures around Nobby’s Beach are expected to re-open as soon as the operation has been completed and the heavy equipment has been cleared.