Video: Humpback whale calf entangled off coast of Australia Disentangling a rope around a whale's tail is a difficult rescue, officers said, and they were not sure they could complete the operation before nightfall. "In all likelihood we'll get an aircraft up in the morning to assess the current status of the animal and its location," said Geoff Ross, NPWS. The Wildlife department said the weather was also a concern with a storm heading for the area. Officers have recorded the position of the whale and will resume their operations in the morning.