Marine authorities are trying to track down a whale which became tangled in rope off the Newcastle coast over the weekend.
The humpback was first spotted on Saturday by whale watchers on a boat off Port Stephens, who reported that a large rope had become wrapped around its middle.
The whale’s pec fins and tail were not tangled, meaning it was still able to swim freely and was last seen heading up towards the Central and Mid-North Coast.
It’s not the only whale to become ensnared in the last few days.
A humpback had to be cut free by NSW Water Police near Sydney Harbour yesterday, after it had become trapped in rope attached to two buoys at North Bondi.
While today, rescue crews from Sea World are working to free another young whale from fishing nets and equipment on the Gold Coast. It’s understood the creature could be just one year old, and has been entangled for days.
It comes as the endangered species enters it’s peak migration season, with around 40 thousand humpbacks now making their way up the east coast of New South Wales, passing the Hunter to warmer waters off northern Queensland.
Hunter locals are being asked to keep and eye out along the coast, and contact the ORRCA Rescue Hotline if they spot any entangled whales.