Whale calf found dead after colliding with tugboat in Queensland coal port

Queensland parks and wildlife officers say the state of the humpback calf's carcass means the cause of death will be difficult to determine

A humpback whale calf has been found dead in the propeller of a tugboat that was guiding a ship to a Queensland coal port on Tuesday night.

The cause of the calf's death will probably remain a mystery, said Queensland parks and wildlife officers, who consider it possible it was dead before it collided with the 33-metre tug Bulgu.