Rescuers have freed a juvenile humpback whale that became entangled in Sydney Harbour.
Confirming the news, Jessica Fox, the second vice-president of the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans (ORRCA), said everyone was relieved.
“The excitement was wonderful; everyone was very relieved to be able to see this young whale again, travelling back on its journey,” she said.
Crews are now monitoring the whale to ensure it is swimming freely.
Fox said there have been reports of entangled whales 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 northern coast of NSW.
How the entangled Sydney Harbour whale was freed
The whale was first seen about 1pm on Thursday near the entrance to Sydney Harbour by a whale spotting group, which alerted ORRCA.
The whale later swam into the harbour near Rose Bay. It’s believed the whale’s fins became caught in a large fishing trap made up of ropes and buoys.
Nine Newspapers reported the whale was freed rapidly on Friday after rescuers had spent hours following it around the harbour.
The rescuers used specialised equipment to hold the whale in place while they cut the ropes it was entangled in.
“We sent members, rescuers, trained members out to certain locations, all around Sydney Harbour, including a drone operator, who is licensed and accredited and authorized through orca and national parks,” Fox said.
“They were able to obtain footage that was vital in both monitoring and identifying the specific type of entanglement that this whale had.”
Large buoys had been attached to the entangled ropes on the whale’s tail to slow it down and make the disentanglement process safer.
Earlier, ORRCA said these buoys also help rescuers track the whale’s movements without relying on its need to surface for air.
“Entangled whales can behave unpredictably and may change directions suddenly,” ORRCA said.
A 300m exclusion zone was established around the whale to ensure both its and the rescue team’s safety.