The Sea World Rescue Team was dispatched after receiving reports from a ferry trawling near North Stradbroke Island, off the Queensland coast, that a whale had become entangled in buoys and ropes.
Footage shows the 8m humpback whale showing obvious signs of distress as it thrashes and repeatedly breaches the water while rescuers deliberate on how to assist the creature.
In the dramatic footage, the rescue team drives right up alongside the whale as they attempt to use hooks and other tools to dislodge the various pieces of equipment attached to it.
Sea World Foundation Head of Marine Science Wayne Phillips said it was 鈥渁 privilege鈥 to be at the scene when rescuers were able to free the enormous creature from its restraints.
鈥淭he cutting team did an amazing job releasing the whale as quickly as they could,鈥 Mr Phillips said.
鈥淭wo simple cuts 鈥 there was one cut on some rope that was draped across the right side of the tail fluke, and then a final cut right at the tip of the left side of the tail fluke, and then the animal was free,鈥 he said.
Marine Mammal Specialist Benjamin Markham said seeing the whale happily swim off was 鈥渋ncredible鈥.
鈥淪eeing him swim off with his pecks nice and wide and his tail moving freely was very rewarding,鈥 Mr Markham said.
鈥淲e did start to see some sort of infiltration on the right hand side of the tail fluke, where that rope was hanging out 鈥 I think we got it just in time. Any longer and we certainly would have seen a bit more damage.鈥
The team has engaged in two 鈥渕obile disentanglements鈥 this migration season, and with more whales expected to head up the coast, Phillips says there is a high likelihood the team will encounter more creatures 鈥渨ith gear on them鈥.
鈥淥ur rescue team remains on standby to assist.鈥