Mama whale helps free baby trapped in shark net

When a mother humpback whale and her baby got tangled in a shark net off the coast of Australia, the mother helped make it easier on rescue workers to free the baby.

Rescuers from Sea World Australia worked together with Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol to free the calf off the coast of Coolangatta Beach on Oct. 14, Sea World shared. The young whale's tail had become entangled by the net, ABC in Australia reports. The mother, who was also entangled, helped make the rescuers' job easier by guiding the baby.

"Mum had just pushed into the nets slightly to help keep the calf up on the surface which she was doing quite well," a spokesperson for the fisheries department told ABC in Australia, adding that the mother's behavior helped speed up the process.

After the pair had been freed, they swam away "in good health and good condition," according to ABC.