Overview

• Drone footage by videographer Geoff Aquino documented the mother and calf struggling in a shark net off Noosa National Park on Wednesday evening.
• A Shark Control Program contractor cut the whales free late that night, with Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries saying they swam away.
• Authorities said the damaged net will be replaced this morning and urged people to call the Shark Control Program hotline rather than attempt rescues.
• The Noosa incident is one of at least four recent entanglements, including a mother that dragged a net from Rainbow Beach to Hervey Bay with teams still working to fully free her.
• Conservation groups renewed calls to remove nets, citing RSPCA data that 1,639 animals were caught in 2024 and expert warnings that calves face high risks and lasting impacts.