Dramatic rescue after baby humpback gets trapped in shark net off Australian coast

Trapped in a shark net off a beach in Australia, a baby humpback whale struggles to free itself as its anxious mother swims nearby, raising her flukes as she dives to keep watch from below.

Rescuers, right, worked for almost two hours today to untangle the calf off Greenmount Beach in Gold Coast, Queensland.

Seaworld director of marine sciences Trevor Long said that during the “distressing” operation the mother stayed close: “It was a very young calf, almost enveloped in the net.

“I believe the mother realised we were helping, she was calm.”

The calf swam off with its mother after being freed.

The nets protect swimmers against sharks.