A young humpback whale has been freed after getting tangled in waters off Wollongong in New South Wales.
Specialist crews along with two volunteer vessels from Marine Rescue NSW successfully disentangled the calf a kilometre east of Bass Point, just south of Wollongong, on Saturday afternoon at about 4.30pm.
"The entanglement was complex involving a number of attached buoys and ropes wrapped around the animal," a spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment told the ABC.
The baby mammal had been spotted in distress early on Saturday morning. Two adult whales were also seen nearby.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) working with Marine Rescue NSW were monitoring the whale and assessing the situation.
"We've got a good window of opportunity to assist with the disentanglement operation because the weather conditions are favourable," Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Glenn Sullivan said in a statement.
A representative from the Department of Planning and Environment told ABC News the rescue mission was dependant on whether it was safe to do so.
