Rescuers in Australia successfully helped a stranded humpback whale return to the ocean after it became trapped on a sandbar during migration.
The young whale, estimated to weigh around 10 tons, was found stuck in shallow water near Forster in New South Wales. Humpback whales usually travel along Australia’s east coast between June and November as they move from Antarctic waters toward the Great Barrier Reef, but this one appeared to have started its journey unusually early.
The whale entered the Coolongolook River on April 13 and eventually became stranded on a sandbank, unable to make its way back to deeper water. Rescue teams were not able to free it until the following day.
A large response effort was organized involving the Sea World Foundation, the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia, and the Forster Dive Centre.
To save the whale, specialist crews worked together using heavy-duty slings placed beneath its pectoral fins. With great care, they managed to tow the exhausted animal off the sandbank and guide it into deeper water in the main channel.
Once there, the whale was finally able to swim on its own again.
Wayne Phillips, head of marine sciences at the Sea World Foundation, said the whale likely entered the Forster area by mistake and then became stranded in a shallow stretch of the river.
He added that despite the difficult experience, the whale appeared to be in fairly good shape, apart from some minor skin damage from sun exposure. Since it was still in the Wallis Lake area afterward, rescuers said they were hopeful it would now be able to find its way back out to the open ocean.