Source: NZ Department of Conservation
Date: 20 May 2026
The whale became entangled in the line in South Bay in Kaikōura about 11am on Tuesday 19 May. Coincidentally, a Department of Conservation boat was in the area and staff saw the incident firsthand.
DOC Marine Reserves Ranger Zac Penman, who was skippering the DOC boat, says the whale was caught in the line for about 10 minutes, thrashing around in distress, before managing to free itself.
“We’re really pleased this whale was able to get free on its own, but it could have been a much worse outcome.
“We don’t know what the circumstances leading to the entanglement are here.
“But it’s a good chance to remind fishers setting cray pots of the importance of ensuring lines are only as long as they need to be, and that there’s no loose rope floating on the surface of the water.”
Zac says May to August is when humpbacks migrate along our coasts as they head between their Antarctic summer feeding grounds and their tropical winter breeding and calving grounds.
“Humpback numbers are increasing steadily, and we’ll see plenty of them on the move in coming months. Even while we were out on Tuesday morning, we saw six come past.
“They’re particularly at risk from entanglement because they’re inquisitive, roll often, and have large tails and flippers, so they are more vulnerable to getting caught up.”
Anyone who does see an entangled whale should call DOC immediately and give the animal a wide berth, as approaching is likely to cause further stress, Zac says.
“Do not approach an entangled whale or attempt to cut any lines entangling it if you see one while out naturing on the water.
“Instead, please report it immediately to our 24-hour hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468). If you can do so safely, monitor the whale from a distance and advise our disentanglement teams exactly where it is.
“Disentangling a large whale is very dangerous if you don’t have the right training and gear. DOC has large whale disentanglement teams in the North and South Islands who can respond to entanglements using international best practice, minimising the risks to both people and the animal.”
Humpback whales are easily identifiable by their small dorsal fin with a distinctive hump at the front. They are baleen feeders that eat krill and small schooling fish. Humpbacks travel about 10,000 km a year on their annual migrations.
DOC administers the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 and is responsible for leading the management of marine mammal incidents.
For more info: Humpback whales: New Zealand marine mammals
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Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/20/a-whales-tale-lucky-humpback-frees-itself-from-entanglement/