Desperate mission to free humpback whale caught up in rope
A mission is underway to untangle a humpback whale caught in rope off the coast in Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula.
A fisherman reported the trapped whale on Friday morning near Barwon Heads, southwest of Melbourne, and the state environment department declared the rescue an "emergency" and sent its team.
"We believe the whale is a humpback whale. We ultimately hope to free the whale by late this afternoon, however, prevailing weather conditions may hinder efforts," regional agency commander David Mifsud said.
A helicopter monitored the whale and the plan was to attach a buoy to the mammal to help track it until the rope could be removed.
But the operation to rescue the whale has been suspended for the day due to “deteriorating weather conditions and visibility” making it too unsafe to rescue, the department wrote on Facebook.
Rescuers will return on Saturday morning.
With AAP
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