The Department of Conservation has asked members of the public to be on the lookout for a humpback whale that was spotted entangled in a line off the bottom of the South Island on Saturday.
The whale was reported to DOC by a fishing vessel crew which sighted it at Knife and Steel Harbour between Big River and Waitutu River on Saturday, the agency said in a statement. The whale is believed to have a craypot line wrapped around its pectoral fin and tail stock and trailing 20 to 30 metres behind it.
The whale is moving and could travel up the east or west coast of the South Island.
Anyone who sees the whale has been advised to contact DOC's 24-hour hotline at 0800 DOCHOT (0800 36 24 68).
Trained DOC teams will attempt to disentangle the whale if possible.
Members of the public should not attempt to cut the rope off the whale themselves as it is very dangerous, they said. The public has also been asked not to cut off the line and floats attached to it as it would make it more difficult for the whale disentanglement team to carry out the procedures for cutting the rope from the whale.
Any boaties who may spot the whale have been urged not to get close to the animal or do anything to disturb or harass it, DOC ranger and South Island large whale disentanglement team lead Mike Morrisey said.
"People seeing the whale can assist our rescue response by staying with the whale, monitoring it and advising of its exact location for our disentanglement team to get to it," Mr Morrissey said.
"The whale is moving and is not any immediate danger so urgent action isn't required. The priority is people's safety and ensuring disentanglement is carried out safely by our trained team."
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