A rarely seen beaked whale has washed ashore at Lennox Head, on the NSW North Coast.
Surfers leaving the water at the popular point break saw the creature on the rocks early Tuesday morning.
"People were saying, 'oh, it's a massive dolphin', but no, you could tell it was a whale," local photographer Ben Aboody said.
"It was a smaller dorsal fin and it was further down towards the tail."
Dolphin Research Australia CEO Liz Hawkins was approached to help identify the animal.
Dr Hawkins said the consensus was it was probably a juvenile strap-toothed beaked whale.
"It's almost this mysterious animal from the depths," she said.
"As researchers we are always so fascinated by these animals, which are so enigmatic."
Dr Hawkins said the whales were seldom seen close to shore or in shallow water, and even how they feed remained something of a mystery.
"This particular species, in the males, as they mature they grow two tusks out of the bottom jaw," she said.
"Those two husks actually strap around the upper jaw and it's so restrictive they can only open their mouths to a few centimetres."
Dr Hawkins said tests that would be performed on the whale carcass could provide a wealth of information.
"Of course the mystery extends to why is this animal washing along our shore?"
"What's wrong with it? Is there any evidence of disease that we might find or anything that might indicate that there is human interference?"
Surfers spooked
Local surfers were pleased to see the carcass removed from one of the region's most famous breaks.
In 2015-16 the area gained an unwanted reputation as the shark bite capital of Australia following a spate of attacks.
Mr Aboody said the surf emptied quickly as word of the discovery spread, and he was in no rush to get back in the water.
"I'll definitely give it a day or two, that's for sure."
