The annual trip can reach about 6,200 miles, and the timing can shift with water temperature<\/a> and food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers are also seeing hints that the calendar is changing. Surveys led by Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop<\/a> at the University of Queensland found the peak of the southbound migration down the east coast has moved earlier by about three weeks over the past two decades, a shift linked to warming conditions further south. Still, this case appears to have a more immediate cause, a physical entanglement that can slow any whale down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The whale was first reported late Saturday, February 14, 2026, near Cape Wellington on the eastern side of Wilsons Promontory. Tour guide Graeme Burgan said \u201cthe whale actually came over to the boat,\u201d but he could see the rope had already cut into the whale\u2019s back. He described the animal as thin, with the outline of its rib cage starting to show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Victoria\u2019s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action said an aerial search on Sunday did not relocate the whale, though there was a second sighting that morning near the South East Point lighthouse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Incident controller Renee Hutchinson said the timing was unusual and the rope may have delayed the whale, while Craig Ryan from the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia said the juvenile likely separated from its mother and \u201cdoes not know where to go\u201d yet. The agency urged the public to stay roughly 650 feet away and report sightings to the Whale and Dolphin Emergency Hotline at 1300 136 017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Entanglement is exactly what it sounds like: rope or netting catches on a whale and tightens as the animal swims. The line can cut into skin, create open wounds, and make every stroke more exhausting. Over time, that constant strain can lead to infection, weight loss, and sometimes death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Whaling Commission<\/a> estimates more than 300,000 whales and dolphins die each year from bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear. It warns animals can drown if they cannot surface to breathe, or starve when towing heavy gear makes feeding<\/a> harder. In short, the danger is not only the rope itself but how long it stays there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is easy to imagine swimming out with a knife and fixing the problem in minutes. In reality, a distressed whale can roll, surge, or dive without warning, and ropes under tension can snap back with force. That is why authorities repeatedly tell the public to report sightings instead of intervening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NOAA Fisheries<\/a>, which coordinates large-whale disentanglement in the United States, says trained teams usually locate the animal, assess how the gear is attached, and only then decide whether removal is safe. In this case, the reporting tour operator, Wildlife Coast Cruises, described a thick green mooring rope about 16 to 20 feet long trailing from the whale and asked boaters to stay back while responders work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humpbacks in Australian waters are often described as a conservation success because the era of commercial hunting ended. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Federal information on Australia\u2019s whaling history notes that tens of thousands of humpbacks were killed at whaling stations, with targeted hunting ending in the early 1960s and commercial whaling in Australia ceasing in 1978. Populations later rebuilt, and whale watching became a major coastal draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But more whales also means more overlap with busy coastlines. In 2025, the World Wide Fund for Nature in Australia<\/a> highlighted BlueCorridors.org, an interactive map built from about 2 million miles of satellite tracking from more than 1,400 migratory whales, layered with risks like shipping, underwater noise<\/a>, fishing activity, pollution, and fossil fuel exploration. The point is to show where whale \u201csuperhighways\u201d and human activity collide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you see the whale, keep your distance and do not attempt a rescue. Victoria\u2019s public guidance for marine mammals directs people to call the Whale and Dolphin Emergency Hotline at 1300 136 017 for injured, stranded, or dead whales and dolphins<\/a>. A clear location, direction of travel, and photos taken from far away can help crews relocate the animal faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, the outcome depends on whether crews can find the whale again and whether conditions allow a safe response. That uncertainty is hard to sit with, especially when you have seen the animal up close. Still, this case carries a blunt lesson for anyone who works or plays on the water \u2013 loose rope and marine debris<\/a> can become life-threatening in a hurry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The report was published by ABC News<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A juvenile humpback whale has been spotted off Victoria\u2019s Wilsons Promontory with a thick rope wrapped around the base of … <\/p>\nRead More: If you hear crickets at night in your home or garden, do not scare them away: gardening experts explain why their presence may actually be a good sign<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
What crews know so far<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Juvenile](\"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/juvenile-humpback-whale-wilsons-promontory-entangled-rope.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
How entanglement harms whales<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why you should not try a DIY rescue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A comeback species facing modern hazards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What to do if you spot the whale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n