A whale caught in a shark net off the Gold Coast is on the move again, but still has some wrapped around its tail.
The Queensland government's marine animal release team and experts from Sea World worked all day in choppy conditions to free the animal.
But they were unable to remove all of the netting from the mammal's tail in waters off Coolangatta.
It's not clear if authorities will try again now that the whale is moving.
The incident has renewed long-standing calls for the government to remove shark control nets from Queensland's beaches during the annual migration season.
Sea Shepherd Australia said shark nets have taken a heavy toll on whales over the past decade.
"Since 2011, at least 49 whales have been caught in these shark nets and on drumlines," the group's shark campaigner Jonathan Clark said.
The group wants to see a shift towards less destructive ways to keep swimmers safe, such as drones.
NSW already removes shark nets to protect whales during their migration.
Shark Control Program Manager Michael Mikitis said tens of thousands of whales migrate along the Queensland coast each year, and the marine animal release team has an outstanding record in freeing those that do become trapped.
"In 2020, there were just six whales entangled and all were successfully released," he said on Wednesday.
