RESCUE organisations are scrambling into action on Thursday after an entangled humpback whale was spotted off Port Stephens.
ORRCA, the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia, said it received the report of the Boat Harbour entanglement on Thursday morning after a spotter caught sight of the trapped animal on Wednesday afternoon.
The aquatic giant was spotted using a camera, the organisation said, but its entanglement only became apparent when the photographer examined the images later.
The group thanked the photographer for her diligence in raising the alarm so quickly.
The animal was last seen about 2.17pm on Wednesday and was heading north.
ORRCA said it was "a few hundred feet" from the rock platform and travelling at about three to four knots.
The orange buoy is trailing behind the whale, which has been surfacing and splashing.
Its behaviour is not considered unusual.
"We hope to have ORRCA members out at various vantage points trying to track this whale over the coming days," the rescue organisation said.
"If you are out and about along the mid north and north coast of NSW, we are asking members of the public once again, to please keep an eye out and report any entanglement sightings.
"We are nearing the peak of the Humpback migration and there are lots of whales moving up our coastline at the moment.
ORRCA vice president Jools Farrell said the situation could be life or death for the humpback.
"When a whale's entangled it is a serious thing beause if they're not disentangled they will eventually tire and the ropes will cut into their flesh," she said.
"They will eventually die from the entanglement, or predators can start to move in."
There were no other whales nearby, but rescuers note ropes and a float are around its head, body and tail. The pictures also appear to show the animal was bleeding.
Ms Farrell said anyone on a boat should immediately call the rescue line - 9415 3333 - and provide a location and, if possible, photos or videos.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service's disentanglement team is on standby, she said, urging skippers to steer at least the required 100 metres away if they see the animal.
"It's highly skilled work these [disentanglement team] guys are trained very well," Ms Farrell said.
"It won't be happy. If a boat approaches it, they see that as a threat and they could retaliate."
