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🇦🇺 Australia /Environment & Climate

Whale Freed From Fishing Line in 'Unprecedented' Entanglement Spike

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Whale rescue crews in New South Wales successfully freed a humpback whale entangled in fishing lines.
  • The rescue was a complex operation due to the whale's compromised tail fluke, requiring significant perseverance from the team.
  • The incident occurred during a weekend that saw an "unprecedented" spike in whale entanglements along the NSW coast, stretching rescue resources thin.

Whale rescue teams in New South Wales reported an "unprecedented" weekend of entanglements, culminating in the successful release of a humpback whale caught in fishing gear off the Central Coast. The rescue organization, ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia), was alerted by a concerned citizen who spotted the whale with fishing lines wrapped around its tail near Forrester's Beach.

This was a really tricky one because the whale had a very compromised tail fluke because of the entanglement, so it wasn't lifting its tail out of the water.

— Pip JacobsPip Jacobs, an ORRCA spokesperson, detailed the challenges faced during the humpback whale rescue.

ORRCA spokesperson Pip Jacobs described the rescue as a "huge team effort," highlighting the use of drone monitoring and the team's perseverance. The whale presented a significant challenge because its tail fluke was severely compromised by the entanglement, making it difficult for the animal to lift its tail out of the water. Despite these difficulties, the rescue crew managed to free the whale from all the lines by Sunday.

We actually had five entanglements across the New South Wales coastline.

— Pip JacobsPip Jacobs highlighted the unusually high number of whale entanglement incidents during the weekend.

Jacobs noted that the weekend was exceptionally busy, with five entanglement incidents reported along the NSW coastline. This surge in activity strained ORRCA's resources, especially as many teams were simultaneously involved in a live stranding event on Stockton Beach. Other reported entanglements occurred at Sussex Inlet, Cook Island, Merewether Beach, and Lennox Head.

This is due to the fact that there is an increase in humpback whale population off our coastline, so the chance of interactions with drum lines or commercial fishing gear or marine debris, that's going to increase the more whales that are out there, unfortunately.

— Pip JacobsPip Jacobs explained the likely reasons behind the increased number of whale entanglements.

ORRCA attributes the increase in entanglements to a growing humpback whale population off the coast. More whales naturally lead to a higher chance of interactions with fishing gear and marine debris. Separately, a small melon-headed whale stranded at Stockton Beach could not be saved despite the efforts of rescuers and a veterinarian, and was euthanized. Locals attempted to keep the whale in the water while awaiting expert help.

It was breathing every eight to 15 seconds … I slowly dragged it into the water and kept its blowhole above the waterline.

— Darius MalisauskasStockton resident Darius Malisauskas described his efforts to help a stranded whale.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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