An Aboriginal "whale whisperer", Bunna Lawrie, who spent time with the whale yesterday, patting it and singing to it, was shocked to hear the decision.
"You're kidding, that's the wrong thing to do," said Mr Lawrie, who is the lead singer of the Aboriginal reggae band, Coloured Stone, and will appear in the coming film, Whale-dreamers. "While it's got life it's got hope. He heard me singing and came over. I looked at him and he was full of life. He had a few scratches and cuts on him and I was a bit worried about his eyes.
"All he needed is a mother's milk. There was hope another whale could pick him up and adopt him. He could have at least learnt to swim with them and eat krill and plankton."
