This time of year is especially dangerous for humpback whales, as mothers travel close to shore with their calves, placing them directly in the path of shark nets.

One incident in particular shocked our team. A mother whale became caught at Rainbow Beach and dragged part of the heavy shark net for more than 100 kilometres, before she was finally spotted in Hervey Bay. The rescue attempts spanned three days.

In another harrowing case just this weekend, an adult and calf endured an exhausting entanglement that lasted over ten hours. From the headland, our crew monitored the rescue with a drone. We could see the net entangled tightly around her tail, the anchor chain dragging her down with every movement.

Whales are mammals, just like us. They must surface to breathe and we can only imagine the terror and exhaustion they feel when so helplessly entangled.

Rescue teams face enormous risks during these operations. At Rainbow Beach, the entangled whale was surrounded by other distressed whales, each with pectoral fins weighing up to a tonne. We watched as rescuers leaned far over their boats, working desperately to cut the net away, all within striking distance of a massive, distressed animal. These operations put human lives on the line - a direct consequence of shark nets being in the water.

And what attracts sharks closer to shore? A distressed whale thrashing in the net. Shark nets do not make our beaches safer - they increase danger for both humans and marine life.

The Queensland Government’s own independently commissioned report recommended removing shark nets during the whale migration season. Yet the government continues to ignore science, expert advice, and mounting evidence. They will continue to claim the nets are about “human safety,” but these incidents show otherwise.

Authorities often describe entanglements as “successful releases.” But these whales are not tracked after rescue. We have no way of knowing the long-term impacts of such exhausting, traumatic ordeals, particularly for calves who lack the strength to recover. To call any entanglement release a success is misleading.

Whale entanglements are not rare accidents. They are the direct and predictable outcome of outdated policies that put whales, rescuers, and ocean users at risk for a false sense of security. It is a travesty when we have modern, non-lethal alternatives, backed by science which we could use right now that provide better safety to humans, without endangering marine life.

Enough is enough. The government knows the risks. The science is clear, the solution is simple: Nets out Now.

Let the Queensland Crisafulli Government know that shark nets are an outdated and lethal measure for beach safety

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