Latest news with #whaleRescue
News.com.au
2 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Dramatic footage captures moment Sea World team free entangled whale caught in net off Qld coast
The dramatic moment a whale entangled in fishing nets off the coast of Queensland was rescued has been caught on tape. The Sea World Rescue Team was dispatched after receiving reports from a ferry trawling near North Stradbroke Island, off the Queensland coast, that a whale had become entangled in buoys and ropes. Footage shows the 8m humpback whale showing obvious signs of distress as it thrashes and repeatedly breaches the water while rescuers deliberate on how to assist the creature. In the dramatic footage, the rescue team drives right up alongside the whale as they attempt to use hooks and other tools to dislodge the various pieces of equipment attached to it. Sea World Foundation Head of Marine Science Wayne Phillips said it was 'a privilege' to be at the scene when rescuers were able to free the enormous creature from its restraints. 'The cutting team did an amazing job releasing the whale as quickly as they could,' Mr Phillips said. 'Two simple cuts – there was one cut on some rope that was draped across the right side of the tail fluke, and then a final cut right at the tip of the left side of the tail fluke, and then the animal was free,' he said. Marine Mammal Specialist Benjamin Markham said seeing the whale happily swim off was 'incredible'. 'Seeing him swim off with his pecks nice and wide and his tail moving freely was very rewarding,' Mr Markham said. 'We did start to see some sort of infiltration on the right hand side of the tail fluke, where that rope was hanging out … I think we got it just in time. Any longer and we certainly would have seen a bit more damage.' The team has engaged in two 'mobile disentanglements' this migration season, and with more whales expected to head up the coast, Phillips says there is a high likelihood the team will encounter more creatures 'with gear on them'. 'Our rescue team remains on standby to assist.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rare photos capture incredible rescue off Australian coast
A mission to save an entangled whale off Australia's east coast has been captured in a series of rare aerial photographs. They were snapped this week as a multi-agency team worked to free the giant mammal as it swam along the NSW Central Coast. Ordinarily, flying a drone within 100 metres of a whale would be illegal because the disturbance can interfere with their migration. But because it was difficult to assess the whale's condition at sea, an exemption was made for a skilled operator from rescue group ORRCA to snap close-up pictures. Images were first taken on Monday so the project's leader, National Parks and Wildlife Service, could assess the entanglement and formulate a plan about how they'd need to manoeuvre around the whale and cut the ropes. 'Then every time they'd do a cut, I'd relay some images back to them to show the changes in the entanglement,' the ORRCA drone pilot told Yahoo News. It was Sunday afternoon when reports from the public were first received about the juvenile humpback being entangled in fishing gear off Sydney's northern beaches. With light fading fast, a decision was made to halt rescue attempts until first light. On Monday, the whale was spotted swimming further north through Pittwater, towards Broken Bay and Umina. NSW Water Police and Marine Rescue NSW monitored the situation from their vessels as teams of rescuers worked to free the struggling animal from a web of buoys and rope. 'The entanglement was around its body, around its tail, around one of its [pectoral fins] as well. Because the mammal was in distress, it was acting quite aggressively,' the drone operator said. 'I didn't know what was actually going on.' 📸 Photo of elusive whale off Aussie coast reveals incredible feat 🚨 Alarming map highlights growing threats to migrating whales 🌊 Carloads of Aussies flock to water's edge as 'exciting' ancient ritual begins Remarkably, as the rescue continued over the next four to five hours, the drone pilot noticed the whale's behaviour was changing. 'It was interesting to watch as the hours unfolded. When they did the first cut, it splashed its tail quite aggressively. But over time, it seemed to realise the rescuers were there to help. At one point, it was just staying in one spot, not moving at all, allowing the boats to come close and move the rope away.' When ropes and nets aren't quickly removed, they can cut into whale flesh or even sever their fins. Because the entanglement was relatively fresh, there wasn't any visible damage to the humpback. Rescuers were unable to remove two small pieces of rope from its body, but they're confident they'll fall off. Fishing net entanglement is a growing problem for whales as they migrate up Australia's coastline. There were two other humpback whales freed from entanglements off the NSW coast earlier this month. In Queensland, they face the added threat of shark nets, which are left to dangle precariously in waters throughout the year, regularly catching inexperienced calves or their mothers as they come in close to shore. In NSW, they are removed during the winter. This Sunday, ORRCA will be hosting its 26th Annual Whale Census, an event where everyday Aussies are urged to head to the beach to witness the annual humpback migration. An estimated 40,000 whales are expected to migrate up the east coast this year. Anyone wishing to participate in the count is asked to register on ORRCA's website and download the app. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Urgent rescue mission underway to free a whale trapped in a shark net along the Gold Coast
An urgent rescue mission is in underway to free a whale trapped in a shark net along the Gold Coast.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Science
- CTV News
Whale species never before seen in B.C. washes up on Vancouver Island
A Bryde's whale washed ashore in Port McNeill, B.C., on Thursday, May 15. (Courtesy: Marine Education and Research Society)
