A humpback whale calf has been rescued from a shark net off the Sunshine Coast, less than 48 hours after one was cut free from a similar entanglement.
The calf was released from a net off the beach at Marcoola on Friday morning, after surf life savers raised the alarm.
Marcoola Surf Life Saving Club deputy president David McLean said he and his colleagues first saw the young whale struggling at about 7.45am.
“We were having a coffee and we saw a few whales get close to the beach and it appeared that one got stuck. So I flew my drone up, keeping the right distance, and noticed that it was stuck,” he said.
“So, we notified the Shark Control Program. Water police also attended, with people from the Department of Fisheries.”
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“It was a bit tired. There were three other whales with it, so there was a bit happening while they (rescuers) were trying to get it free.”
It was released at about 10.15am.
A Department of Primary Industries spokesperson confirmed the incident.
“Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers, the Sunshine Coast shark contractor and a trained Marine Animal Release Team from the Sunshine Coast have successfully released a juvenile whale entangled in a shark net at Marcoola beach,” they said.
“Our teams were alerted to this incident by reports to the Shark Control Program hotline and we had crews on the scene very quickly. We thank everyone who contacted the hotline, enabling us to provide prompt assistance.”
The net was being replaced on Friday.
The incident followed the entanglement and release of a calf off the coast of Noosa National Park on Wednesday night, when videographer Geoff Aquino captured the “heartbreaking” scene of it struggling.
The video prompted an outcry and calls for the removal of shark nets, on social media.
Mr McLean said the Marcoola Surf Life Saving Club supported official regulations.
“It’s a really difficult one because you don’t want to see any marine life hurt but the club supports the decisions made by the authorities, whatever they may be,” he said.
“SLSQ (Surf Life Saving Queensland) works with Fisheries and their programs and that’s the reason the club has embarked on a drone program, to look at marine life and keep people safe on beaches – that’s our main goal.
“We probably won’t buy into the nets or no nets. We support the authorities, whatever decision they make.
“From a personal point of view it is difficult, because of the whale entanglements, but the shark program has some safety measures that can’t be ignored for the bathing public.”
Mr McLean said whales were a common sight off the beach at Marcoola but they rarely got trapped in the shark net.
“There was an occasion a couple of years ago when a whale was freed and another one probably 20 years ago when a whale was freed, so they have been few and far between.”
The DPI spokesperson urged people not to approach whales trapped in nets.
“Call the Shark Control Program hotline on 1800 806 891 and let the trained and properly equipped experts do their job.”
