Shark nets catch something else entirely — prompting rescue mission off Australia

The coastline of Australia is dotted with numerous shark nets intended to shield beachgoers from the ocean’s apex predators. But, recently, the equipment has ensnared an altogether different species.

Over the last several days, a spate of humpback whales have become entangled in protective netting off Queensland, triggering rescue operations and sparking outcry from animal welfare groups.

On Sept. 17, two whales — a mother-calf pair — were seen dragging a shark net in Hervey Bay, located north of Brisbane, according to a Facebook post from Sea Shepherd, a conservation nonprofit.

“This shark net came from Rainbow Beach,” about 75 miles away, the group said, “meaning she has already dragged this extremely heavy and dangerous net for a considerable distance.”

An aerial photo shows the mother whale wrapped in yellow lines, while her calf swims nearby.

A rescue operation is underway, the group said.

Later that same day, Sea Shepherd released video footage of another mother-calf pair stuck in a shark net near Noosa, about 100 miles south of Hervey Bay.

In the video, the animals can be seen almost completely enveloped in a sprawling net dotted with dozens of buoys.

“Night has fallen meaning the rescue team are unable to attend, and they will be left to struggle overnight,” the group said. “We hold grave concerns for the welfare of these whales, especially the calf who is heavily wrapped up in the shark net.”

Both marine mammals were eventually freed, according to news.com.au.

In response to these incidents, conservation and animal rights organizations have expressed growing concerns.

These entanglements highlight “yet again why the (Queensland) Government must remove shark nets,” Sea Shepherd said. “These incredible animals come to our warmer waters to birth their calves, something they should be able to do without the threat of ineffective shark nets.”

Humane World for Animals Australia, an animal protection group, echoed this sentiment.

“We’ve now seen two instances of mother and calf pairs caught in shark nets on the same day,” Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist with the organization, said in a news release. “We’re calling on the Queensland Government to stop pretending that these useless and destructive shark nets benefit public safety. They must finally take action and remove shark nets from the state’s waters before we see further tragedies unfold.”

The Greens, a left-wing political party, also called for shark net programs to be ended.

As of April 2024, there were dozens of shark nets — fashioned from mesh and measured up to 600 feet long — along the coast of Queensland. Set up parallel to beaches, they are designed to catch sharks over 6 feet in length.

In May 2024, the Queensland government announced it would invest millions in shark control technology, which includes shark nets, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

While the devices might make swimmers feel safer, they do not reduce the likelihood of being bitten, The Guardian reported in 2016, citing a data analysis from Deakin University researchers.

“It’s a couple of hundred metres long, there might be two at a beach which is many, many kilometres long,” Barry Bruce, a shark expert, told the outlet. “They are set at a depth offshore where they don’t reach to the surface so they only come up six metres or so from the bottom in 10 metres of water. In some respects you have to be an unlucky shark to get caught.”