Rescuers rush to help stranded whale circled by 10-foot shark off Australia, video shows

A massive humpback whale recently became stranded along the coast of Australia, where it was threatened by the sun and a lurking shark. But, following a “mammoth” multi-day rescue operation, it swam to freedom.

The 32-foot whale became lodged on a sandbar off Hervey Bay — located about 180 miles north of Brisbane — on July 14, according to a news release from the Sea World Foundation.

While it was healthy, it was unable to free itself from the shallow water. A video accompanying the release shows the animal laying on its stomach in just a few feet of water.

Over the next 48 hours, Sea World Foundation staff worked with the Queensland National Parks Rangers to provide first aid, which included covering it in white sheets.

“The most important thing for a whale stranded on the beach is to protect it from the elements, making sure that the sun doesn’t hit that skin at full heat, but also making sure that the animal doesn’t dry out,” Claire Madden, a Sea World Foundation veterinarian, said in the video.

But, when it became clear that the animal could not dislodge itself, plans were made to rescue the whale using specialized equipment on July 16.

The intent was for a team of 20 people to work on either side of the whale to attach slings that could be used to tow it to deeper water.

“But as we went out to implement that plan we found a bit of a challenge in a 3-meter tiger shark that was circling the whale,” Wayne Phillips, head of marine sciences at the Sea World Foundation, said in the video.

So, cognizant of the nearby shark, the team decided to attach the slings from boats.

“Once we started to get around and close to the animal, he started to increase his energy levels and with momentum he was able to get himself off that sandbar,” Phillips said.

The animal was then observed swimming out to sea.

“Once it was hitting that 2 meter depth of water and was able to dive and swim, the team was just elated,” Phillips said.

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