Australia: Humpback whale stuck in 1760 pounds of rope set free by rescuers

Rescuers in Australia succeeded in freeing an 18-meter long humpback whale which was found entangled in over 1700 pounds (800 kilogram) of fishing equipment off the Gippsland coast.

In what became a multi-agency operation, it took roughly two days for various co-coordinating agencies to rescue the large mammal.

The humpback whale was rescued and released back in the waters after around 656 feet (200 meters) of rope and fishing buoys were removed from its body.

The operation began on June 28 and came to an end on June 29, 2024, according to a press release by the Victoria Police department.

Humpback whale in trouble

The full-sized adult humpback whale entangled in fishing equipment was first sighted by a commercial helicopter on June 23. According to the authorities , the fishing equipment had greatly restricted the mammal’s ability to swim.

However, after the initial sighting the whale had disappeared and could not be traced by the authorities.

It took almost a week before it could be seen again, this time by a recreation vessel in waters off the southeastern coast, about 4.5 nautical miles from Lake Tyers, on Friday afternoon.

With the confirmed sighting, the Water Police officers were dispatched to the area. The specialist team also included members from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Victorian Fishing Authority and Parks Victoria.

The team was able to attach a tracking device to the humpback whale so that it could be found again with ease.

On the second day, the team used small boats to get close to the suffering mammal and begin removing over 1700 pounds of tangled ropes and buoys from its body.

Successful rescue operation

Following the successful release of the humpback whale, the team then used a crane to the heavy fishing rope and other equipment out of the water so that it doesn’t become a hassle for other marine animals or shipping vessels.

According to Water Police Inspector James Dalton, “it was a completely different kind of search.”

“The whale was so tightly tangled in the ropes and it wasn’t travelling very far so we knew it was in real distress. To safely cut the ropes away, we needed to return the following day to ensure we could successfully remove enough of the rope that it could swim freely again,” Dalton said.

As reported by the Independent , Ellen Dwyer –from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action- said that the mammal was in ‘good spirits’ following the conclusion of the rescue operations.

The report also mentions Dwyer saying that they were happy that they were able to “successfully remove a significant amount of weight and rope from the whale.”

The humpback whale gets its common name from the distinctive hump on its back. Its long pectoral fins inspired its scientific name, Megaptera, which means “big-winged” and novaeangliae, which means “New England,” in reference to the location where European whalers first encountered them.

These mammals live in all oceans around the world. They travel great distances every year and have one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet.

Some populations swim 5,000 miles from tropical breeding grounds to colder, more productive feeding grounds. They feed on shrimp-like crustaceans (krill) and small fish and are generally considered non-dangerous to humans.