A humpback whale entangled in rope has been found in the middle of Doubtless Bay in the Far North.
Department of Conservation staff will now work to cut away the rope from around the whale.
The whale was spotted wrapped in rope around 11.30am yesterday, near Mangonui. It is believed to be bigger than seven metres.
DOC staff told the New Zealand Herald they will use a technique called “kegging” to remove the rope. A boat will get as close as possible to the whale, attaching a grapnel hook, 50m of rope and buoys – in an effort to slow the whale down.
The technique aims to tire the whale enough for staff to cut away the rope it is tangled in.
The whale is “moving rapidly and surfacing around every 30 seconds”, DOC spokesperson Caroline Smith told the Herald.
Humpback whales are curious animals, she said and as a result often became caught in ropes.
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