Humpback whale entangled in rope, trailing a buoy spotted south off Sydney Harbour

Australia Broadcast Center

08-06-2025

Whale rescue teams are poised to assist a "distressed" humpback whale entangled in rope and trailing a buoy that has been sighted just south of Sydney Harbour.
The adult humpback is travelling south, which is in the opposite direction to what it should be during what is the official whale migration season.
"It's entangled with rope on its left pectoral fin, and is trailing rope and a light coloured, almost white buoy which is about 20 metres behind it," Jessica Fox, Vice President of the Organisation for Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) told the ABC.
Ms Fox said the National Parks and Wildlife Service Large Whale Disentanglement Team was currently on stand-by to help the whale if conditions and time allowed today.
"Unfortunately, it is getting a bit late in the day now so we're really hoping some sightings come through quickly now.
It was last seen about 2pm around South Head on Sunday afternoon.
"Humpback whales would usually all be still heading north this time of year in June," Ms Fox said.
"This is very unusual to see it travelling south so early in the season, and this is why we think this whale is in distress and it's turning around and heading back to the Great Southern Ocean."
She said the north-bound travel was part of their migration.
"They head up the east coast of Australia from the Great Southern Ocean where their feeding grounds are and they head up to warmer waters either to birth, or to meet up with friends and mate.
"Given that it is travelling south means to us that it may be in distress.
She added that it was unclear where the whale became entangled in the rope.
"We're unsure where the buoy has come from. It may have picked it up anywhere, the first sighting of the whale was on Saturday."
ORCCA said it was an adult humpback whale, but they were unclear of the sex or age.
Specially trained whale experts have been reviewing footage of the whale supplied by ORCCA and members of the public.
Ms Fox said once the whale was located, the whale rescue team would work out what formation their boats need to be in to safely snag the rope and cut it off.
"But it is done in a really methodical and focused and specific way for the safety for both the humans and whales involved."
People are urged to ring the whale rescue hotline on 02 9415 3333 if they spot the whale.