Tragic detail spotted on whale off Aussie coast as time runs out in rescue mission
A humpback whale remains trapped in a tangle of rope, dragging a buoy behind it, after urgent rescue efforts failed to set it free when it was first sighted just south of Sydney Harbour on Sunday.
The adult whale is heading south, opposite the usual migratory path for this time of year, which is peak whale migration season.
Jessica Fox, Vice President of the Organisation for Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), said that the entangled whale has rope caught on its left pectoral fin and is dragging a buoy, described as light in colour and nearly white, trailing about 20 metres behind it.
She told the ABC the whale was likely to pass the coast of Port Kembla and Wollongong later on Monday morning. Earlier, the National Parks and Wildlife Service's Large Whale Disentanglement Team had been on standby, ready to intervene if conditions permitted and time allowed.
Rescuing entangled whales is an extremely complex and risky process. Several key factors make these rescues difficult: the unpredictable movement of large, distressed whales, the need for precise coordination to cut ropes without harming the animal or rescuers, and the complexity of the entanglement itself, which often involves multiple lines or old fishing gear.
Trained specialists must also work in open water under often unpredictable weather conditions, adding to the risk and difficulty.
Fox said time was running out for a safe rescue, but she stressed the importance of any new sightings, explaining that even if the team couldn't reach the whale before nightfall, up-to-date information would help track its movement and potentially guide rescue efforts the following day.
It was last seen at 2pm near South Head on Sunday.
"Humpback whales would usually all be still heading north this time of year in June," Fox said. "This is very unusual to see it travelling south so early in the season, and this is why we think this whale is in distress and it's turning around and heading back to the Great Southern Ocean."
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Fox said the whale had been travelling slowly, then at a rapid pace at times, signs that it's also under stress. It is not certain where the whale became entangled.
Specialist whale rescuers have been analysing video footage of the entangled humpback, provided by ORRCA and members of the public. Once the whale is located, the rescue team will determine the safest boat positioning needed to catch the rope and remove it.
The public is being urged to call the whale rescue hotline on 02 9415 3333 if they spot the whale.
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