Huge 12-metre humpback whale freed from fishing rope off coast of Rottnest

An entangled humpback whale has been successfully freed from fishing rope after a complex rescue operation near Rottnest Island.

A specialist disentanglement crew from the Parks and Wildlife Service and WA Fisheries embarked on a delicate four-hour mission to free the 12-metre whale from the fishing rope at first light on Thursday morning.

The operation was sparked after the Parks and Wildlife Service received a report that a whale had become entangled about two nautical miles off Fremantle on Wednesday.

A trained team set out to locate the whale and assess the situation before a control line and satellite tag was attached to the creature to track its movements until it was safe to attempt to disentangle it.

After careful planning and preparation, the team tracked the whale just off the coast of Rottnest Island early on Thursday.

Four hours later, the whale was successfully freed.

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said it is not uncommon to see whales off our coastline this time of year due to the start of the migration season.

If you see an entangled whale, please call the Wildcare Helpline immediately on 9474 9055.

Please do not attempt to intervene yourself or remove any trailing ropes or line.