Entrapped Whale at Kirra

Overview

On August 1 1998, a juvenile Humpback Whale became entrapped in a shark net at Kirra. With the increased number of Humpback Whales along our coast, incidents like this happen each year and Sea World and the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol have developed a rescue team and specialised equipment to deal with these incidents quickly and effectively.

Even though all shark nets are fitted with alarms that warn whales to stay clear, it is believed that these alarms may attract the younger, inquisitive and inexperienced whales. It is usually these newborn or juvenile whales on their southern migration to their summer feeding grounds that become entrapped in shark nets.

This particular entrapment was the worst ever encountered by the Sea World research and rescue team. The juvenile whale was completely enveloped in the net making it very difficult to free. The rescue team used divers to remove the net from the animal and the whole process took over an hour due to the risks associated with the animal's large size and frantic movements.

A BBC cameraman captured the entire underwater event on camera. This footage will be a valuable training tool for future incidents.