It was a “delicate and difficult operation” but fortunately, groups of rescuers in Sydney were able to help free a humpback whale caught in netting one recent Sunday afternoon off the coast of Coogee Beach.
Onlookers from the beach were able to film the distressed mammal as it tried to free itself, dragging two floating buoys on the water. The witnesses said that the whale’s movements were erratic thus it was apparent there was something wrong.
Marine Area Command received an alert and sent out a sea crew to help the animal, which had been circling Coogee Beach. A spokesperson said that the officers were able to get close enough to the massive mammal and cut the ropes off the buoys.
The Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORCCA) and the National Parks and Wildlife continued to monitor the humpback whale’s movements as it swam north to ensure that it was no longer tangled.
The groups have been coordinating with each other due to the dangerous nature of the rescue. According to a spokesperson from the ORCCA, the effort required a specialist since it involves a distressed humpback. The rescuers were also racing against time as the incident occurred at about 4:00 p.m. With sundown looming, they had to act fast and assess the mammal’s situation before they lose sunlight.
Meanwhile, humpback whales usually swim in Sydney’s eastern coastline to head north during the migration season of May to November. Thus, Coogee Beach is a hotspot for whale watching during these months and people could easily spot humpbacks as they are the most playful whales. However, on some occasions, killer whales, pilot whales and minke whales pass along the waters as well.
