A nine-metre southern right whale, known in Māori as tohorā, has been successfully freed from fishing gear after a complex multi-day rescue operation off the southern coast of New Zealand. The whale was dragging four buoys and 100 metres of rope behind its tail when first spotted by fishers on Saturday near Rakiura (Stewart Island).
This is the first recorded entanglement of a southern right whale in New Zealand waters. The Department of Conservation (DOC) said the whale showed signs of distress and had a wound on its tail, though it was not in immediate danger. The rescue required advanced expertise due to the species' unpredictable behaviour.
Zac Penman, DOC’s large whale disentanglement expert, travelled 800 km from a surfing competition in Kaikoura to assist. The team located the whale on Monday, finding it tethered to rocks by a cod pot. They attached a satellite tracker and formulated a plan. Overnight, the whale broke free and swam 40 km north towards Bluff.
On Tuesday, the team, with help from a ferry crew, located the whale near Bluff. Penman described the moment the whale turned to look at the boat with its large red eye as 'incredible'. After 45 minutes of careful cutting, the whale was freed and swam off. The team celebrated with a beer at a local pub.
Southern right whales are a taonga (sacred) species for Ngāi Tahu, the largest iwi in the South Island. Their population, estimated at 1,000-5,000 in New Zealand waters, is slowly recovering from near-extinction due to whaling. DOC operations manager Jennifer Ross urged fishers to set only necessary line, especially during whale migration season.
