Baby whale Colin given fatal injection

WITNESSES have disputed claims by wildlife authorities that a sick and orphaned whale calf was quietly euthanased this morning, with one comparing the scene to a Japanese whaling expedition.

The injured baby humpback, affectionately called Colin - but which has now been identified as a female - was put down by veterinarians after being abandoned in waters north of Sydney earlier this week.

Cherie Curchod said she saw the whale thrashing around near a jetty below her home after it was given more than six injections.

Ms Curchod said the whale was then tied up and dragged across the bay at Bonnie Doon, to The Basin at Pittwater before it "actively started trying to get away".

"Then they dragged it to a closed tent and all the while they dragged it, it was flapping its tail, blowing out of its head and moving and trying to get away," she told AAP.

"It was so upsetting because euthanasia is meant to be an easy death and that whale did not have an easy death at all."

National Parks and Wildlife Services spokesman John Dengate said the whale's death was the "best possible result" in the circumstances.

"That was the best way it could have been done," he said.

"You put the animal out of its misery."

Earlier today, the Daily Telegraph reported that grown men were in tears as a struggling Colin was dragged behind a boat before being left to thrash on a beach after he was injected with a fatal dose of anaesthetic.

"It's a tragic end to a program that dozens of people have put their hearts and souls into," said Mr Dengate, describing the act of ending Colin's life as "harrowing".

NPWS spokesman Chris McIntosh said: "It was a sad moment, but it went quietly to sleep.

"The calf has been quietly and humanely euthanised."

A vet on board a small boat administered an anaesthetic through a large needle, by simply leaning overboard and injecting the weakened humpback calf, he said.

The NSW Department of the Environment said Colin was euthanased without causing the whale any stress, but activists said more could have been done to save the whale and locals who witnessed Colin's death said it lacked dignity.

"Vets who euthanased the animal said it was a smooth operation and the sedated animal remained stress free and calm throughout," the department said.

Baby whale was 'bucking and thrashing'

Those who witnessed the whale's death dispute NPWS claims that the young humpback was put quietly to sleep. They say the baby whale was dragged bucking and thrashing across 300m of water and was still struggling when it was pulled up on the beach.

“I don’t understand why they didn’t let it die quietly,” said Michael Brown.

“It was obviously distressed. I’m 41 years old and almost collapsed.”

Mr Brown and other locals were crying as the baby whale - which had sought refuge in the bay for five days - was lashed by ropes to the NPWS boat as it continued to struggle.

“After this comedy of errors of the past few days I thought that they would euthanase it with some dignity,” said Mr Brown.

“For God's sake, it’s a baby. It’s been through hell. It was separated from its mother, it’s been starved and confused.”

'Like watching a Japanese whaling boat'

A spokesman for the Divine Marine Group said they had organised a legal injunction against the NPWS to prevent Colin being killed but could not serve it in time.

"We had five minutes and during that time they euthanased poor Colin," Captain Alexander John Littingham said on Fairfax radio.

"That was a scene that we witnessed ... and then they towed the whale behind their National Parks and Wildlife boat. It looked like a scene out of the Antarctic with a Japanese fishing boat.

"It was absolutely disgusting."

Capt Littingham said the group had wanted to use a force-feeding system with an electronic pump.

The whale's body was loaded onto a truck to be taken to Taronga Zoo for an autopsy.

The autopsy will be aimed at finding clues as to why the whale was deserted by its mother - beginning the tragic story that has gripped the country.

Baby humpback whale's mother found after calf put down

EXPERTS will conduct DNA tests on a whale they think is the mother of a lost calf nicknamed Colin, which was put down earlier today.

The development came as National Parks and Wildlife head Sally Barnes revealed Colin was actually Colleen - a female humpback whale calf.

It is believed a whale carcass being eaten by sharks near Eden on the NSW South Coast may have been her mother, explaining why the young whale turned up alone and hungry in Pittwater on Sunday.

Ms Barnes also defended the NPWS handling of the calf's mercy killing, saying it gave her a “peaceful, respectful and dignified end”.

However, witnesses have disputed this account, saying the young whale thrashed and struggled until the very end.

The injured baby humpback, affectionately called Colin - but which has now been identified as a female - was put down by veterinarians today after being abandoned in waters north of Sydney earlier this week.

Cherie Curchod said she saw the whale thrashing around near a jetty below her home after it was given more than six injections.