Drone footage from Noosa Main Beach on Australia’s Sunshine Coast captured a distressing scene: a mother humpback whale and her calf trapped in a shark net, struggling desperately to free themselves. The mother rolled frantically in the net in an effort to protect her young.
Authorities confirmed that a Shark Control Program contractor cut the whales free around 11:30 p.m. on September 17. Remarkably, two additional whales were also caught in the same net, marking an unusual event.
Experts say such entanglements are becoming more frequent, especially for mother-calf pairs during their southward migration. While the mother and calf were freed, remnants of the netting remained attached to them.
Shark nets, designed to catch sharks over two meters long, are installed along Queensland and New South Wales beaches. Scientists warn that these nets pose a serious risk to whales, particularly calves who depend on their mothers for survival.
Dr. Vanessa Pirotta described the footage as “heartbreaking,” noting that calves are extremely vulnerable in such situations, stressed and at risk of drowning if their movement is restricted. Dr. Olaf Meynecke added that while adult whales may sense danger, calves do not, often leading to entanglements that distress both mother and young.
This rescue underscores the ongoing tension between human safety measures and marine wildlife protection, highlighting the growing threat shark nets pose to vulnerable whale populations.
