A WHALE entangled in rope at Cape Nelson has been freed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning incident controller Andrew Pritchard said the humpback whale was spotted at Cape Nelson entangled in rope on Tuesday morning.
"On-water crews were deployed from Portland to reach the whale and assess options for the disentanglement operation," Mr Pritchard said.
"An observation plane was also deployed to observe the whale and monitor its location from the air."
The rope and two buoys attached to it were removed.
"There have been five humpback whales spotted by the air crew today in waters between Cape Nelson and Cape Grant," Mr Pritchard said.
"None were exhibiting any signs of distress, so we're confident the entanglement has not caused a significant injury to the whale."
He thanked members of the public for reporting the issue.
"Anyone who sees any whales along the coast in distress can report them to the Whale and Dolphin Hotline on 1300 136 017."
EARLIER:
A RESCUE plan is being put together to try to free an entangled humpback whale between Cape Nelson and Cape Grant near Portland.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) Barwon South-West incident controller Andrew Pritchard said the whale has been under land and air observation since it was sighted by around 8am Tuesday by a charter fisherman.
Mr Pritchard said a DELWP crew was doing an assessment of the whale and checking its health and temperament to determine the next step of a rescue plan.
"Most likely the crew will attach a marker buoy so the whale is easily visible for future plans," he said.
It is believed the whale is a humpback.
A member of the public reported seeing a whale entangled in rope on Tuesday morning.
An incident management team has been activated and specialist crews are being deployed to undertake on-water operations while a plane is en-route to observe the whale and monitor its location from the air.
Members of the public are urged to stay clear of the whale, for their own safety and for the mammal's welfare.
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.