At around 11:15am today (Friday 23 August), an expert team from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) safely freed an entangled humpback whale in Sydney Harbour.

The whale was first sighted in Sydney Harbour at around 1:30pm yesterday, with a rope and a number of small white buoys trailing behind it.

NPWS dispatched its specially trained Large Whale Disentanglement Team, which found the whale and attempted to remove the rope and buoys. Due to the speed the whale was travelling, the team was unable to free it, and the operation had to be suspended overnight.

The whale was relocated in Sydney Harbour this morning, and NPWS and NSW Maritime established an exclusion zone to ensure the animal and the community were kept safe.

After several hours of delicate work, the NPWS Large Whale Disentanglement Team cut the whale free. 

Crews continued to monitor the whale to ensure it was swimming freely. It was last spotted swimming east out of Sydney Harbour.

The discarded rope and buoys were retrieved and brought ashore. Their origin is not yet known.

NPWS would like to thank all those involved in the operation, including the members of the NPWS Large Whale Disentanglement team, NSW Maritime, the Gamay Rangers, Port Authority of NSW and volunteers from the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA). 

Each year, humpback whales undertake huge migrations, travelling up to 10,000 km from the Southern Ocean to breeding grounds in warmer climates. 

As they travel through inshore Australian waters, they are susceptible to becoming entangled in fishing gear and other marine debris which can lead to fatigue, injury, and death. 

Disentangling marine wildlife is a complicated and dangerous operation. It is not always successful and requires highly skilled and trained operators as well as the right conditions to safely approach the animal. As such, these efforts can often run over several days.

NPWS Area Manager Ben Khan, said, “The incredible task which was accomplished today could not have been done without the skill of workers and volunteers across several organisations who all worked together to achieve one goal, which was helping this humpback whale.  

“Sadly, this will not be the last whale to become entangled, and there will likely be more whales spotted in Sydney Harbour as the warmer months approach.  

“If you see an entangled whale, please contact NPWS on 1300 072 757 or the ORRCA Rescue Hotline on 02 9415 3333. 

“We ask the public to please listen to the advice from NPWS, as well as NSW Maritime, Port Authority of NSW and ORRCA, to give rescue teams the best chance at freeing entangled whales.”