Overview

• Marine observers first spotted the humpback caught in a shark net off Greenmount Beach early on June 11 before it drifted toward Kirra Beach.
• Sea World teams arriving by jet ski deployed hooked poles to cut away netting from the whale’s pectoral fin.
• Crews attached large orange balloons to the netting to help track the whale’s movements when it submerges.
• Although the whale freed itself from much of the netting, a section remains wrapped around its body and continues to impair its movement.
• Conservation experts warn this incident highlights recurring threats posed by shark nets to marine mammals and emphasize the need for improved protection strategies.