Tangled Whale Freed After Four Day Ordeal

A Southern Right Whale tangled in a cray pot line for four days has been freed by marine experts off Stewart Island.

A fisherman spotted the stuck whale on Saturday and stayed with it until Department of Conservation staff could form a rescue plan. The rope had wrapped around the whale's tail, effectively anchoring the nine-metre animal to the seabed.

Jennifer Ross from DOC's Stewart Island team said the whale couldn't move far. "It was effectively anchored to the ground there and wasn't able to move too far," Ross said.

DOC staff monitored the whale's breathing and sent videos to whale experts for assessment. Despite being trapped, the young male was relatively calm.

"In terms of whale entanglements, it wasn't too stressed," Ross said. "It was doing a few rolls, but it had good breathing and it could be safe enough in that space."

The rescue proved tricky. Southern Right Whales have massive pectoral fins and can spin 180 degrees quickly, making any approach dangerous.

On Monday, experts attached a satellite tag to track the whale. That night, it broke free from where it was tethered but remained tangled in rope.

Whale disentanglement specialists arrived by ferry on Tuesday, joined by passengers who helped search. They found the whale in a different location and successfully freed it.

The whale swam away after being released. At nine metres long, it's still a sub-adult — full-grown Southern Right Whales reach about 15 metres.