Home / Environment / Whale Freed from Fishing Nets Off Gold Coast
Whale Freed from Fishing Nets Off Gold Coast
2 Jul
Summary
- Humpback whale entangled in commercial fishing gear rescued.
- Rescue team removed ropes and 15 crab pots from the animal.
- This marks the fourth whale rescue during the 2026 migration season.
A humpback whale was rescued from fishing nets off the Gold Coast on Thursday after becoming entangled in commercial fishing gear. The entanglement consisted of ropes and spanner crab pots, which posed a significant danger to the marine mammal.
The Sea World Foundation received notification from fishermen and dispatched a specialized team to the location. The rescue operation involved carefully cutting away the ropes and removing approximately 15 crab pots that were ensnaring the whale. Footage showed a net tangled around the whale's fin, later identified as being caught on a barnacle.
Following its release, the whale was monitored by the team as it continued its northern migration. This incident represents the fourth whale rescue performed by the Sea World Foundation during the 2026 migration season. The foundation remains on standby as four other whales are known to be travelling with entanglements.
Earlier in the migration season, a separate rescue involved a young humpback whale stranded on a sandbar near Forster. Teams from multiple organizations, including NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and ORRCA, collaborated to refloat the sub-adult whale after it entered the Coolongolook River.
