Whale rescuers in Australia have shared uplifting footage of the moment a young humpback whale swam back to the ocean after becoming stranded on a sandbank.
“Following the initial rescue attempts on Tuesday, the 9-metre, 10-tonne whale unfortunately re-stranded on a sandbank late Thursday night prompting the urgent multi-agency rescue operation which commenced Friday morning,” said Sea World Foundation while sharing the footage on Instagram last month.
In the footage, a humpback whale can be seen stuck on the sand in the shallow, azure waters with its back poking far above the waterline. Experts have strewn wet sheets over its back to keep it cool and protect it from the sun.
A drone soaring above (operated by Daryn McKenny from the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans, also known as ORRCA) films the rescuers using special slings so a boat could carefully tow the 10-tonne animal back out to deeper waters.
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"Over six days, this whale stranded multiple times across the estuary system, turning the rescue into a technically challenging and evolving,” said Ashley Ryan, ORRCA President. “It took an extraordinary level of coordination and expertise from all agencies involved to keep adapting to the situation.”
Eventually, the whale was finally freed. It can be seen swimming out towards the ocean to continue its migration.
“To finally see the whale lifted off the sandbar and make its way back to the ocean in good condition was an incredibly powerful moment,” says Ryan.
Image and video credit: Sea World Foundation and Daryn McKenny, ORRCA
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