Sightseers have been urged to stay clear of a whale carcass that has been floating off the Hunter coast in recent days.
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The carcass, which has caused a shark feeding frenzy, was washed onto rocks on the western side of Moon Island off Swansea on Thursday.
Lake Macquarie angler Yasmin Dolman recorded the incredible sight of sharks feeding on the carcass on Wednesday afternoon.
"It was like something out of a movie; it was quite unnerving," she said.
"Everywhere you looked there were sharks, great whites and tiger sharks.
"The smell was absolutely horrendous."
Vice-president of the wildlife group ORRCA Jools Farrell said the members had been tracking the carcass as it moved south in recent days.
"We are hoping it stays in the ocean and doesn't end up on one of the main beaches," she said.
The seven metre carcass was most likely from a deceased three to four-year-old humpback whale.
The number of whales travelling along the coast has been increasing by about 10 per cent in recent years.
"They are still recovering from the end of commercial whaling but they are bouncing back quickly."
Ms Farrell said it was possible more dead whales would appear off the coast as the whale population increased.
"Dead whales provide food for sharks, that's nature," she said.
"People need to be responsible. If you see a dead whale there are likely to be sharks in the area. The message is simple - stay out of the water."
A dead whale caused a massive stink when it washed up on Bar Beach in 2010.
The whale was buried on site however strong seas uncovered the carcass several months later requiring it to be reburied.