Baby humpback whale freed after being tangled by rope on Australian coast

A baby humpback whale has been freed from a rope entanglement on its tail becoming the second whale needing rescuing on Australia's eastern coastline in as many weeks.

Specialist whale rescuers freed the calf using special knives in the early afternoon on Wednesday, despite poor sea conditions and a protective mother initially hampering efforts.

"(The specialist team) assessed the situation and the opportunity presented itself," Lawrence Orel from the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service told Xinhua on Wednesday.

"It was a great outcome for the whale and everyone involved today."

Orel said it is not uncommon for whales to become trapped during their migration as the strong recovery in humpback numbers, from only a few hundred in the 1960s to approximately 20,000 swimming down Australia's east coast, is increasing the likelihood, though not frequent enough to be alarmed.

Orel stresses prevention is the key, urging people who come across any abandoned or floating fishing gear, rope or fishing line to take it home and dispose of it properly.

The latest entanglement, which is enough to kill a whale, is the second in as many weeks after a calf was tangled in a floating fishing net along the NSW south coast. Endit