Humpback whale freed from tangled fishing line in ‘challenging operation’

Animal rescuers said they braved rough seas and powerful winds to free a humpback whale entangled in fishing gear off the coast of Australia during what they described as one of the season’s more challenging operations.

The Sea World Foundation said a rescue team responded off the coast of New South Wales after receiving reports of a whale in distress.

Drone video showed a thick rope wound tightly around the mammal’s tail, restricting its ability to move and leaving it in what rescuers described as a compromised state.

Despite battling gale-force winds and crashing waves, the crew says they were able to cut the whale free in just over an hour.

Video released by the Sea World Foundation showed no other animals in distress in the immediate area, and the freed whale was able to swim away under its own power.

The incident unfolded during the peak of the annual humpback migration, when tens of thousands of whales travel north to breeding grounds in warmer waters before returning south toward the nutrient-rich seas near Antarctica.

Humpback and southern right whales are the most commonly sighted species off New South Wales, but blue whales, minke whales, sperm whales and even orcas are occasionally spotted along the coast.

The peak period for whale sightings usually comes in late winter and early spring, when the largest numbers of humpbacks pass by the coastline.

Towns in New South Wales, such as Byron Bay, Port Stephens and Eden, are considered prime destinations for whale watching, drawing tourists from across Australia and around the world.

Experts believe the population of humpbacks in Australian waters has rebounded after being decimated by commercial whaling.

Despite conservation efforts, threats from fishing line entanglements and boat strikes continue to pose significant dangers to marine animals.

The International Whaling Commission estimates that around 300,000 whales and dolphins die every year due to entanglements with fishing gear and other fishing-related activities around the world.