- Life-savers Successfully Free a Young Humpback Whale in Sydney's Waters
In the bustling Australian city harbor of Sydney, a young humpback whale was saved from drowning. Specialists from the New South Wales (NSW) Wildlife Service handled the situation, freeing the calf that had been ensnared in ropes and buoys. Their update on Facebook detailed the rescue.
The whale disentanglement squad reportedly cut a nylon rope from the marine creature's fin. "The whale is now swimming freely again, and we have no worries concerning its wellbeing," the Wildlife Service confirmed.
The operation commenced at 07:30 local time, and it took until 11:15 for the team to finally release the humpback whale from the ropes by cutting them. "This is a risky procedure and should only be performed by qualified experts," the wildlife rescuers stressed.
The distressed whale had been spotted on Thursday due to its frantic swimming. However, they had to wait until the animal was sufficiently worn out and positioned at the water's surface before they could approach, explained Luke McSweeney, head of the whale disentanglement team, to the "Sydney" Morning Herald. The calf was in good health and strong.
Approximately 300,000 whales and dolphins are believed to die annually in nets or ropes, according to Australian animal conservationists. At the moment, there are three more whales along the coast of New South Wales trapped in nets. As per the International Whaling Commission, globally, around 300,000 whales and dolphins lose their lives annually after getting entangled in nets or ropes.
The rescue operation was led by specialists from the New South Wales (NSW) Wildlife Service, as three more whales are currently trapped in nets along the coast of New South Wales. Unfortunately, around 300,000 whales and dolphins are estimated to die annually due to entanglement in nets or ropes, according to Australian animal conservationists.
