The 30ft carcass of a dead whale is set to be removed from Blyth Beach.
The decomposing whale washed up last week, emitting what officials said was an "unpleasant smell" as the public were told to stay away.
A cordon has been in place across the weekend, as officials planned an operation to remove the huge creature from the popular Northumberland beach.
That operation got under way on Monday morning and Northumberland County Council said that the beach should be fully reopened by the end of the day.
"Securing the permission required for this and planning the removal and disposal logistics started on Friday and now a multi agency team has begun the removal operation this morning," said a spokesperson for the authority.
"The work involved will take a few hours and this section of the beach will be reopened later this afternoon.
"People are thanked for their patience".
Dog walkers were specifically warned to "stay away" from the carcass, with instructions to keep pets on leads.
Last year, a minke whale washed up on a beach in South Tyneside, sparking a similar warning.
And in 2019, a young humpback whale was found at the coast between Craster and Dunstanburgh Castle.
