17/06/2026
Marine Rescue Batemans Bay assisted NSW National Parks on Saturday, 13 June, after an entangled humpback whale was spotted south of Batemans Bay. The whale was towing around 46 metres of fishing line, two buoys, and seaweed, roughly 13 kg of drag and was struggling as it migrated north.
Our crew on Batemans 30 tracked the whale for 20 km, providing constant updates to National Parks. The whale was lost and relocated three times, diving for up to 15 minutes at a time, but was found again through vigilant lookout work and maintaining course and speed.
At Pebbly Beach, Batemans 30 met Ulladulla MR30, which was transporting the Large Whale Disentanglement Team. The team successfully freed the whale, which immediately moved more freely and at a faster pace.
After a long day on the water, our crew returned to base proud of the outcome. Well done to all the crew members and radio operators supporting the rescue.
A huge thank‑you to Ocean View Photography – Maree Jackson for providing land‑based drone imagery and real‑time observations throughout the operation.