Rescuers have freed a juvenile humpback whale that had become entangled in Sydney Harbour.
Confirming the news, Jessica Fox, the second vice-president of the Organization for Cetacean Rescue and Research (ORRCA), said everyone was relieved.
“The excitement was wonderful; everyone was very relieved to be able to see this young whale again, looking back on its journey,” she said.
Crews are now monitoring the whale to ensure it is swimming freely.
Fox said entangled whales had been reported in several coastal areas, including Sydney and Newcastle.
ORRCA is also searching for three other entangled whales: one potentially north of Byron with ropes around it and two with ropes and buoys around them, possibly off the NSW north coast.
How the Sydney Harbor Whale Was Freed
The whale was first sighted on Thursday around 1 p.m. near the entrance to Sydney Harbor by a whale watching group, who alerted ORRCA.
The whale then swam into the harbor near Rose Bay. It is believed that the whale’s flippers got stuck in a large fishing trap made of ropes and buoys.
Nine newspapers reported that the whale was quickly freed on Friday after rescuers spent hours following it around the port.
Rescuers used specialist equipment to hold the whale in place while they cut the ropes in which it was tangled.
“We have sent members, lifeguards and trained members to locations all around Sydney Harbour, including a drone operator, who is licensed, accredited and authorized by Orca and National Parks,” Fox said.
“They were able to obtain vital images to both monitor and identify the specific type of entanglement this whale had.”
Large buoys had been attached to the tangled ropes on the whale’s tail to slow it down and make the untangling process safer.
Earlier, ORRCA said these buoys also help rescuers track the whale’s movements without relying on its need to surface to breathe.
“Entangled whales can behave unpredictably and change direction suddenly,” ORRCA said.
A 300 m exclusion zone was established around the whale to ensure its safety and that of the rescue team.
