An 8-metre humpback whale entangled in fishing gear off the Mid North Coast was successfully freed in the first disentanglement of the season.
The stunning result followed a coordinated three-day tracking and rescue operation by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), SeaWorld Foundation, Marine Rescue NSW, Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and ORRCA.
The whale was first sighted south of Coffs Harbour, on Thursday, 14 May, with ropes and buoys entangled around its head and body. It was heading south, which is unusual for this time of year.
The DPIRD Fisheries Compliance patrol provided the whale's speed, direction and position, which meant on-shore ORRCA volunteers were able to re-sight the whale from headlands and lookouts. However, it was too late in the day on Thursday to safely deploy a rescue team.
On Friday morning (15th May) the whale was found again just south of Port Macquarie off Shelly Beach, near Tacking Point Lighthouse, and the NPWS Large Whale Disentanglement Team deployed from Port Macquarie with Marine Rescue NSW to successfully remove most of the entanglement, including 200 metres of rope, and dozens of hooks.
As the end of daylight approached, the team attached a satellite tracker. The remaining rope with a metal rod and buoy weighing 10kg was still lodged in the whale's mouth, and a more powerful boat was needed for the team to dislodge it.
On Saturday, 16 May, just before midday, a specialist boat and crew from Sea World Foundation and NPWS launched from Forster and successfully removed the remaining material from the whale's mouth.
Cheers from the team echoed across the water as this whale was freed to swim another day.
Disentangling marine wildlife is a complicated and dangerous operation. It is not always successful and requires highly skilled, trained operators, as well as the right conditions, to safely approach the animal. As such, these efforts can often run over several days.
Large Whale Disentanglement training and responses are supported by the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Incident Controller Shane Robinson said:
"It was a great day on Saturday - an incredible outcome, and this whale now gets to live, thanks to this complex rescue. It could not have eaten or moved at normal speed without being disentangled, and it took multiple teams working in challenging conditions on the water across several days.
"From the person who first spotted it providing accurate location information, to the crews on the water and in the air, to the observers on headlands and the support teams who helped track the whale and keep the operation safe, it took the combined efforts of many people to save this whale.
"If you see an entangled whale, please report its location, direction and speed to NPWS on 1300 072 757 or the ORRCA Rescue Hotline on 02 9415 3333.
