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A man in Australia who dived into the sea to save a whale calf that was entangled in shark nets could face a stiff fine, according to reports.
The man, who asked to be described as “Django” and declined to give his full name, freed the humpback whale on Tuesday, according to ABC Gold Coast. The recreational diver found the whale caught in a shark net off the Gold Coast and untangled him, the report said.
Aerial footage shows Django diving into the sea from a small boat and disentangling the whale from the shark net.
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9 News reported that the man could face a stiff fine for interfering with the state government’s shark nets.
Humpback whale, calf. Megaptera novaeangliae. Silver Bank, Dominican Republic. (Francois Gohier/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The maximum fine for interfering with equipment such as shark nets is 26,690 Australian Dollars ($17,518), according to ABC.
Django told ABC that he was fined by fisheries inspectors as he left the area.
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However, Queensland’s Minister for Agricultural Development and Fisheries Mark Furner tweeted that Django had not been fined, but said that the incident is under investigation.
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“He actually has not been fined,” he tweeted Tuesday. “Matter is under investigation by Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol, as appropriate. Human life comes first and shark control equipment is dangerous. Marine animal rescues should be left to the trained experts.”
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