Authorities in Western Australia have used a large amount of explosives to blow up a live whale.

The explosives were used to euthanase the humpback whale that had been stranded off the coast near the former whaling centre of Albany.

The 12 tonne mammal was killed with explosives after it was determined it was too big to shoot with a rifle.

A plane monitored the area for sharks as wildlife officers positioned the explosives around the whale.

A one kilometre exclusion zone was set up around the whale as the explosives were set off.

According to the wildlife officers, the whale died instantly.

It had been stranded in Albany’s harbour for two weeks.