A coordinated multi-agency response over the weekend resulted in the successful disentanglement of an eight-metre humpback whale off Point Plomer headland near Crescent Head.
The operation began on Saturday morning (8 August 2026) after reports were received to ORCCA of a humpback whale swimming south with rope and floats trailing behind it off Crescent Head.
Volunteers from ORRCA sighted the whale from shore, while a fishing boat assisted responders by maintaining visual contact with the whale.
Marine Rescue NSW launched a vessel from Port Macquarie, carrying National Parks and Wildlife Services' (NPWS) Large Whale Disentanglement Team (LWDT) personnel and an NPWS rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to the whale's location.
The LWDT deployed their RIB from the vessel and carefully approached the whale. The highly trained team successfully removed rope and attached floats entangled around the whale's tail, flukes and back, allowing the animal to continue its journey.
All recovered rope and floats were retrieved from the water and brought ashore for examination and disposal.
This was the second successful whale disentanglement off the NSW north coast on Saturday, with NPWS and ORRCA also assisting Sea World in a rescue operation near Byron Bay.
These positive outcomes highlight the value of rapid reporting by members of the public, providing responders with the best opportunity to assess the situation and intervene where safe and appropriate.
