Baby whale dies after mum and bub get stuck in shark nets on the Gold Coast
A BABY humpback whale has died after it and its mother became entangled in shark nets off the Gold Coast.
The pair were spotted caught up in nets offshore of Broadbeach on Saturday morning.
But, despite the best efforts of rescuers to free the giant mammals, the newborn calf could not be saved.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday afternoon, rescuers confirmed the newborn humpback had sadly passed away.
The calf’s mother, however, survived the struggle and has since swum away.
The female was estimated to be up to 9 metres in length.
RT 9NewsGoldCoast: A whale has become trapped in shark nets off the Gold Coast. LIVE STREAM: … pic.twitter.com/kuQlVhV5H4
— Australia/Oz/DownUn (@AOZDU) July 15, 2017
Humpback whale calf dies after becoming stuck in shark nets off Broadbeach, its mother has been freed. #9News https://t.co/Bvb1SZwChV pic.twitter.com/XNhBJah0ke
— Nine News Gold Coast (@9NewsGoldCoast) July 15, 2017