A humpback whale entangled in rope off the coast of Otago was freed this morning thanks to the efforts of the Department of Conservation, a local fishing crew and mana whenua.
The juvenile to sub-adult humpback whale, around 8-9 metres long, was first sighted around 9am on Sunday.
It was caught in 12mm braided cray pot line with a single float gear that did not appear to belong to a local company.
Department of Conservation’s expert whale disentanglement team assessed the whale as being in “immediate danger” and made the call to work remotely with an experienced local fishing crew already on site off Moeraki.
The Department of Conservation remained in constant contact and provided guidance to several vessels throughout and following the encounter.
The whale was successfully disentangled at around 10.45am.
Coastal Otago operations manager Gabe Davies said the department was “incredibly grateful” to the crew for their calm response and skilled handling of a difficult situation.
“The safety of both the whale and the people involved is always our top priority, and this outcome shows what’s possible when people on the water act calmly and responsibly.”
Davies said the Department of Conservation played a “unique role” in situations like these.
“In this situation we were able to work together with the right people, knowledge, and tools to free the humpback whale.”
The department was aware of another sighting report of an entangled whale from Friday.
“There may still be a second entangled whale in the area. It’s also possible the freed whale has remnants of cray line still attached. DOCs expert disentanglement team remains on standby,” Davies said.
If a whale was seen to be entangled or in distress, the Department of Conservation urged calling 0800 DOC HOT immediately — and stay well clear.
