A whale entangled in a shark net about five days ago with her calf is yet to be fully freed, two of four humpback whales to be entangled in shark nets off the coast of Queensland in recent days.
Dr Olaf Meynecke, who researches marine mammals at Griffith University, said humpback whales were caught in shark nets every year, but this was the first time involving four whales trapped at the same time.