Rescuers Work Tirelessly For 2 Days To Save Beached Humpback Whale Calf In Australia
After days of hard work and many failed attempts, rescuers in Queensland, Australia, are celebrating after managing to free a juvenile humpback whale that had beached itself.
“Congratulations to all involved in the rescue of the juvenile humpback whale,” Sea World Gold Coast said in a Facebook post Thursday. “Everyone did an amazing job and we are so proud of everyone’s tireless efforts.”
The organization said that the whale calf — said to weigh nearly 20 tons — was “in a fair condition when released and the rescue team are cautiously optimistic the whale will survive.” As Australia’s Yahoo 7 News notes, the rescue team had to “race against time” to rescue the stranded whale, employing “delicate and dangerous” methods to free the animal.
Earlier:
Marine rescue workers in Australia have been working tirelessly for two days to free a juvenile humpback whale that’s been stranded at Queensland’s Palm Beach. The 30-foot whale calf beached itself on Tuesday evening, the Brisbane Times reports. Since then, rescue workers have been trying to get it to deeper waters. Though some progress has been made, the animal remained stranded as of early Thursday morning local time.
Fortunately, the whale has been described as being in “good condition” despite the trauma, per News.com.au. According to a Facebook post by Sea World Gold Coast, rescue workers “monitored the whale overnight and continue to be onsite.”
The post added that rescuers are planning to conduct “an additional rescue attempt” Thursday morning.