Humpback whale found dead tangled in shark net at Coledale north of Wollongong
In short:
A young humpback whale has been found dead entangled in a shark net at Coledale Beach, north of Wollongong.
ORRCA says it believes the whale died after becoming entangled in the net.
What's next?
A local councillor is calling for the NSW government's Shark Meshing Program to be urgently reviewed.
A humpback whale has been found dead off the Illawarra coast, entangled in a New South Wales government shark net.
The 8-metre whale was spotted off the shore at Wombarra Beach, next to Coledale Beach, by members of the public about 8:30am on Tuesday.
Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), Marine Rescue Port Kembla and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) responded and found the juvenile whale dead in the water with netting wrapped around it.
A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development confirmed the whale was entangled in the Coledale Beach shark net, installed under the NSW government's Shark Meshing Bather Protection Program.
Coledale is one of five beaches on the Illawarra coast and 51 statewide fitted with a shark net under the program.
The whale was found entangled in a shark net in Coledale. (Supplied: Khynan Gardner/ORRCA)
ORRCA president Ashley Ryan said the whale was migrating south to Antarctica.
"It's all speculation at this point, but it does look like the whale has died after becoming caught in the shark net. But without performing a necropsy, we won't be able to say for sure," she said.
"We've seen live whales in shark nets in NSW, but it's not very common for this to happen."
Ward three councillor for Wollongong, which oversees Coledale, Jess Whittaker said the death was tragic.
The whale was spotted from the shoreline at Wombarra Beach on Tuesday morning. (Supplied: Khynan Gardner/ORRCA)
"If it's found that this whale has gotten caught in the shark net, struggled and died a really slow and painful death by drowning, that's heartbreaking," she said.
"So many people would find that absolutely tragic. Just devastating, really. Horrible."
Retrieval abandoned
Marine Rescue assisted NSW National Parks with the rescue effort. (Supplied: ORRCA)
Marine Rescue NSW, Wollongong City Council and NPWS, assisted by an ORRCA drone, spent hours trying to retrieve the carcass.
"It was reasonably close to the shore, so around 3pm the decision was made to abandon the effort only due to safety," said Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Stuart Massey.
ORRCA is warning the community to avoid the water because of an elevated risk of sharks in the area.
The whale washed in to shore on Tuesday evening.
If conditions permit, NPWS and local council will remove the carcass and a necropsy will be performed.
Shark nets under fire
Cr Whittaker, who ran for the New South Wales Greens, said the state government should review the controversial shark nets program following the whale death.
Jess Whittaker has reignited calls for a shark net program review. (ABC Illawarra: Penny Burfitt)
"I think we need an immediate review of the shark net program. I don't think we should wait until the end of the season," she said.
"We know that they don't work, it's a public safety hazard and a hazard to wildlife. I think the agriculture minister and the premier should intervene."
The premier and Minister Tara Moriarty have been contacted for comment.
The death has reignited a long-standing debate over the use of shark nets, which span about 150 metres and hang about 6m deep.
If an identified shark is caught, the management plan requires contractors to make reasonable efforts to identify and release live animals with the least possible harm.
Editor's note 29/10/2025: This article has been amended to state that the NSW DPIRD makes reasonable efforts to release live animals. It previously incorrectly stated that all target species found in the nets were killed.