A Line in the Water: The Day a Whale Was Freed

It began with a ripple.

Not the kind you see skimming a quiet tide pool, but one that travels through communities, radios, and ocean currents alike. A whale had been spotted - not breaching in joy, but dragging something behind it. A tangle. A trap.

In the still blue off Geraldton’s coast, the call went out: Whale entangled. North of town. Assistance required.

The Rescue Begins

Responding swiftly, a team from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) - Parks and Wildlife Service - launched their rescue craft. These are not your average responders. They’re trained to work with massive, distressed animals in unpredictable conditions. One fluke of the tail could capsize a boat. One wrong move could cut the very rope they're trying to untangle.

The whale, a juvenile humpback estimated at 7 metres long, had become entangled in rope - likely discarded fishing gear or a piece of “ghost net” drifting through the ocean unnoticed until it found flesh.

Whales don’t cry out. But their movements tell the story. Slowed, dragging, surfacing irregularly. Breathing harder. As if the sea itself had grown heavy.

Humpback whale with. arescue team. Source: CBC news

Cutting the Line

The team approached with caution, using pole-mounted knives and boathooks, circling in carefully choreographed passes. There is no rushing such work - no guarantee of success. The whale could bolt. The rope could shift. One wrong wave and everything changes.

After hours of tense manoeuvring, they severed the last visible tether.

The whale dove.

Silence.

Then: a breach.

As if in exhale. As if in thanks.

Entanglement: A Global, Growing Threat

Whale entanglement is no anomaly. It’s happening more frequently - not because the whales are changing, but because we are. Discarded fishing gear, crab pot lines, and aquaculture infrastructure now form invisible hazards across migration routes. According to the International Whaling Commission, thousands of whales and dolphins are killed or injured by entanglement every year.

Here in WA, ghost nets - drifting, abandoned or lost fishing nets - are a rising threat. They may drift for years, ensnaring turtles, dugongs, dolphins, and whales. Entanglements can lead to severe injuries, infection, or slow, silent deaths.

And in Geraldton, where the reef edges the open Indian Ocean, migrating whales intersect with zones of human activity - fishing, boating, and offshore infrastructure.

North Atlantic right whale caught in rope. Source: wsbt

Meet the Marine Rescue Team

Western Australia’s Whale Entanglement Response Team is one of the best in the world. Operated by DBCA, it trains annually with specialists to safely free whales and monitor their wellbeing after rescue. Only a limited number of highly trained personnel are authorised to approach and intervene - for both human and animal safety.

Locally, marine officers and trained volunteers work together during peak season. Their tools include specially designed cutting poles, buoys to control tension and positioning, and drones for monitoring whale movement from above.

This latest Geraldton operation is a testament to their skill, teamwork, and unshakable calm under pressure.

What You Can Do

You don’t need a rescue boat to make a difference. Here’s how the community can help protect our ocean giants:

• Report: If you see a whale in distress, tangled, or stranded, call the Wildcare Helpline on (08) 9474 9055 or the WA Whale Stranding Hotline on (08) 9442 5080.

• Stay back: Never approach an entangled whale yourself. Even professionals wait years to be certified.

• Clean up: Join local beach and underwater clean-up events. Even small plastics can entangle marine life.

• Reduce gear loss: If you fish, make sure lines and nets are marked and securely stored. Retrieve what you can.

• Speak up: Advocate for tighter marine waste regulations and corporate accountability in fishing industries.

More Than a Moment

The whale swam free that day. But the line it dragged had travelled far - perhaps from thousands of kilometres away. It had crossed borders, currents, and time zones. That’s the trouble with marine debris. It knows no boundary. And neither does responsibility.

This story isn’t just about one whale and one rescue. It’s about how we choose to live with the ocean. Whether we see it as a resource to extract from - or a living world to tend and protect.

At Midwest Eco Stories, we choose the latter.Because the sea remembers.And we’re lucky when it lets us write our names into its healing.