A young humpback whale is swimming free in the ocean again after a desperate rescue operation successfully freed the mammal after it was entangled in ropes in Sydney Harbour for almost 24 hours.
The difficult mission began on Thursday and ended late Friday morning, when the whale in distress was cut free from the ropes wrapped around its tail.
The humpback, estimated to be between 10 and 15 metres long, swam straight towards the Sydney Heads and into the open ocean.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service manager Ben Khan said the mammal was “swimming free and had broken free” after whale release specialists managed to cut the ropes.
He told reporters the animal was still being monitored by maritime experts as it left port.
Jessica Fox from volunteer organisation ORRCA said it was common for whales to enter Sydney Harbour but it was rare for one to become entangled.
She told AAP it is not known how the whale became entangled, but that it happened before it entered harbour.
The ‘amazing’ rescue took place after restraints were used to keep the animal relatively still while specialist personnel worked to free the animal.
A young humpback whale has finally been freed by whale release specialists after becoming entangled in ropes and buoys in Sydney Harbour on Thursday
Rescuers attempt to free whale as it swam ‘erratically’ in harbour
As the whale swam between Bradley’s Head and the Manly Headland, conservationists used a long pole with special blades to remove the ropes.
The public first saw the stricken whale around 1pm on Thursday and reported it to the ORRCA helpline.
Mr Khan said the service’s whale disentanglement team began the operation in the afternoon but was defeated by sunset.
“It’s obviously a very complicated operation. We have a live animal that is very, very large,” he said.
Authorities praised commercial vessels operating near the whale in Sydney Harbour, saying they were adhering to restricted zones, allowing rescuers to free the entangled whale.
Manly’s iconic ferries have been praised for adhering to the no-go zones on Friday
Humpback whales migrate north to warmer waters in June and July and return south in September and November.
According to ORRCA, the peak of humpback whales’ southward journey is when they pass Sydney Harbour in late September.
Humpback whales are the most common species seen off the coast of New South Wales and their numbers are increasing due to conservation efforts.