Baby whale freed from nets off Sunshine Coast

A baby whale caught in shark nets off Rainbow Beach near Queensland's Sunshine Coast today has been freed.

"Sea conditions were very good and this enabled the team to cut the ropes off," Queensland Shark Control Program Manager Jeff Krause said in a statement this afternoon.

A marine animal release crew spent hours working to free the 5m juvenile whale after it became entangled in netting on this morning.

Mr Krause says the mammal was calm and near the surface throughout the ordeal which meant it could breathe easily.

It is the eighth whale this migration season to be caught in shark control equipment in Queensland.

About 20,000 whales are currently making their return journey at the end of the migration season.