Rescuers freed a humpback whale tangled in fishing line off South Golden Beach, Australia, according to the Sea World Foundation.
On Thursday, Sept. 11, the foundation carried out the rescue after a member of the public reported the whale to the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA). The animal was described as being “in a compromised state.”
Following the call, ORRCA brought in the Sea World Foundation and Marine Rescue Brunswick Heads to help. The whale had a thick rope wrapped around its tail that needed to be cut free.
At first, the team tried to lasso the rope, but the strong winds made the effort difficult. To get closer, rescuers attached a large buoy to the line, which allowed them to carefully cut the rope. After several tries, they successfully removed the fishing line, and the whale swam away.
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According to the Sea World Foundation, the rescue took about an hour. The whale remained calm and cooperative throughout, even though the team described the mission as “the most challenging operation of the season” because of rough conditions and winds reaching up to 40 knots.
“Yeah, that final cut, all the gear comes off, it’s always a great feeling, even more so today,” said Sea World Foundation skipper Andy Mulville, as reported by 9 News.
The incident highlights a bigger problem: about 300,000 whales and dolphins die each year from entanglement in fishing equipment, according to the International Whaling Commission.
