• A juvenile humpback whale was found entangled in fishing nets in Sydney Harbour, prompting a rescue operation by ORRCA.
• Initial rescue attempts were suspended due to failing light, but a GPS tracker was attached to monitor the whale's movements.
• The tracker dislodged, complicating the rescue, but the whale was spotted again on Friday morning.

In an unusual and alarming incident, a juvenile humpback whale has been discovered entangled in fishing nets in Sydney Harbour. The rescue operation, spearheaded by the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), is currently in progress near Bradleys Head, a peninsula on the harbour's north shore. The distressed whale was first identified on Thursday noon by a whale-watching group, marking the beginning of a complex rescue mission.

The rescue crews, comprising ORRCA volunteers, police, and maritime authorities, have been working tirelessly to free the young humpback. Initial attempts to detach the netting wrapped around the whale were suspended due to the failing light on Thursday. However, the rescuers managed to attach a GPS tracker to the whale, hoping to monitor its movements and plan the rescue operation accordingly.

Hopefully the conditions are favourable, the tracker works and the whale is freed nice and early in the morning, ORRCA President Ashley Ryan told Nine Entertainment newspapers on Thursday night. Unfortunately, the tracker became dislodged shortly afterwards, adding another layer of complexity to the rescue operation.

Tracking the Entangled Whale

Despite initial fears that the whale had swum out of the harbour overnight, it was spotted again by authorities at 7:30 a.m. local time on Friday. The police and maritime authorities have been tracking the whale and enforcing an exclusion zone near Bradleys Head as it dragged a line with buoys attached.

This incident has raised concerns among the residents of New South Wales, prompting ORRCA to ask for their help in tracking three separate humpback whales spotted entangled in nets off the eastern state's coast between the cities of Newcastle and Tweed Heads north of Sydney. The behaviour of entangled whales can be unpredictable, and they can change directions of travel, ORRCA said in a statement on social media.

The entanglement of a whale in Sydney Harbour is considered extremely rare. It is not uncommon for a whale to enter Sydney Heads -- they pop their heads in time to time, but to have one entangled in Sydney Harbour is extremely rare, a source mentioned. This incident is a stark reminder of the potential conflicts that can arise with the increasing number of whales in the ocean and more human activities.

A Conservation Success Story Amidst Challenges

Humpback whales were once hunted to the brink of extinction, with only an estimated 1,500 of the animals left in Australian waters at one point. However, they are now a rare conservation success story after global protections were afforded to the whales in 1965. Humpback whale numbers now exceed 40,000 -- a number close to pre-whaling levels -- and the marine animal has since been removed from Australia's threatened species list.

This incident is reminiscent of a similar event that occurred hours after a pregnant bronze whaler shark was freed off Mona Vale beach. The rescue operation was long and complex, with crews relying on their training and experience to safely cut the animal free from lines and ropes around its head and tail.

The entanglement of marine animals is a serious issue that requires immediate attention and action. Regulations are in place to protect these creatures, such as prohibiting helicopters or gyrocopters from flying lower than 500m within a 500m radius of a whale or dolphin. However, these regulations do not take into account the deafening noise helicopters make within sheltered bays, which can interfere with the communication of cetaceans and affect their behaviour.

As the rescue operation continues, the hope is that the young humpback whale will be freed soon, marking another success story in the conservation efforts for these magnificent creatures. The incident serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between human activities and wildlife, and the need for continued vigilance and action to protect our marine life.

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