Whale Beach (NSW 695) is one of the more physically unusual beaches in NSW. It also has a rich and bloody history, the latter related to 100 years of whaling on the beach. It curves gently to the southeast for 1.7 km between Moutrys and Brierly points, with car access to Moutrys Point. The beach lies across the mouth of the Towamba (or Kiah) River (Fig. 4.432), which in major floods washes the beach away. The beach, however soon re-forms with the river mouth deflected to the eastern end against Brierly Point, where it maintains a deep 50 m wide channel. During floods the river delivers coarse sand to the bay. This is then built by the waves into a very steep and high beach, probably the steepest sand beach in the state, with extensive river mouth shoals off the eastern end. Waves averaging less than 1 m usually surge up the steep beach, while waves begin to break on the river mouth shoals that usually extend seaward of the eastern half of the beach. When this occurs strong rips, as well as the tidal flow, produce a hazardous surf zone. read more

Beach Length: 1.5km