Bad weather stops search for whale

Photo / DOC

Bad weather has prevented rescuers putting to sea today to search for a large humpback whale entangled in ropes and buoys near the Bay of Islands.

The 12-15m whale was spotted on Wednesday near Moturua Island, close to Russell, in the Bay of Islands off the Northland coast. It had rope and a buoy in its mouth - the second humpback whale to be seen entangled in this way this week.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is looking for the whale so it can try to cut the line free but the whale has not been seen since the first sighting on Wednesday.

DOC spokeswoman Helen Ough Dealy said winds of up to 20 knots had prevented DOC rescuers searching for the animal today, but commercial fishing boat operators and charter boats had been asked to keep an eye out.

Commercial fishing boats, which sit higher above the water, had the best chance of spotting the whale, she said.

Earlier this week DOC staff cut free a rope from a humpback whale off the Northland coast.

It was a coincidence that two whales had become entangled in ropes in such a short space of time and it was not a regular occurrence, Ms Ough Dealy said.

- NZPA