‘Precious’ sea creature entangled in rope is saved off New Zealand. See rescue
An entangled humpback whale was rescued off the coast of New Zealand thanks to the help of local anglers.
The distressed whale — a juvenile measuring more than 25 feet — was first spotted around 9 a.m. on June 15 near Dunedin, a city on the southeast coast of the South Island.
“It was caught in 12 (millimeter) braided cray pot line with a single float-gear...and was in immediate danger,” according to a news release from the Department of Conservation (DOC).
A photo posted by officials shows green lines and a yellow buoy attached to the whale’s tail.
In response, the department’s whale disentanglement team evaluated the situation and decided to enlist the assistance of a fishing crew that was already at the scene.
With the guidance of the team, the fishing crew — located aboard several vessels — managed to free the marine mammal around 10:45 a.m.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the local crew for their calm response and skilled handling of a difficult situation,” Gabe Davies, a DOC operations manager, said in the release. “The safety of both the whale and the people involved is always our top priority, and this outcome shows what’s possible when people on the water act calmly and responsibly.”
“DOC plays a unique role in situations like this,” Davies added. “As nature’s champion, we’re experts in protecting our most precious species. In this situation we were able to work together with the right people, knowledge, and tools to free the humpback whale.”
The DOC also said it was aware of an additional entanglement that had been reported in the area — which may be the same whale with “remnants” of line attached. It said it is monitoring the situation.
Humpback whales, which are found throughout the world’s oceans, are threatened by entanglements with fishing gear in addition to vessel strikes and ocean noise, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This story was originally published June 16, 2025 at 1:30 PM with the headline "‘Precious’ sea creature entangled in rope is saved off New Zealand. See rescue."