Young whale entangled in rope and buoys rescued off coast of Australia, video shows

An entangled humpback whale was recently rescued off the coast of Australia during a difficult operation.

A local fisherman spotted the animal — a 30-foot juvenile — in Geographe Bay, located about 130 miles south of Perth, on the morning of Sept. 8.

The whale was swimming close to the shore and dragging buoys and ropes, according to news releases from the Dolphin Discovery Centre, a non-profit organization.

A video posted by the center shows the whale floating on the surface with two small buoys just several feet away.

The fisherman immediately reported the sighting to the center and sent over photos and the coordinates of the whale’s location.

“We were able to organize the Whale Entanglement Team of Parks and Wildlife Service WA (DBCA), who have been looking for this animal,” the center said. “The chain of reporting worked extremely well, giving the animal a fighting chance of being freed.”

A Parks and Wildlife Service team was then dispatched to the whale, and they successfully removed the entanglement on Sept. 9.

“Bad visibility made the rescue very difficult, but the experienced team succeeded in the end,” the Dolphin Discovery Centre said.

Humpback whales are often spotted along the coast of Australia between April and November — when they migrate north from the waters off Antarctica to breed, according to the Australian government.

Entanglements caused by fishing gear are just one of the threats facing the species, which include vessel strikes and ocean noise, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This story was originally published September 11, 2024 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Young whale entangled in rope and buoys rescued off coast of Australia, video shows."