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Stranded humpback whale in Australia finally freed

Xinhua, October 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

A humpback whale has finally managed to free itself after spending hours stranded on a sandbar in waters off Stradbroke Island, east of Brisbane in Australia.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife had first received reports on Thursday night about a mother and calf stranded on the sandbar at Dunwich, on North Stradbroke Island, a spokesman told Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The whales managed to free themselves before the mother was re-stranded closer to shore on Friday morning.

Footage shot earlier by local television showed the distressed calf swimming nearby and apparently trying to push the mother off.

At about 0815 local time (AEDT) Friday the mother managed to free itself.

A boat of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife is trailing the whales to help herd them out to sea and away from shallow waters. Endit