Whale freed from Qld sandbar

A humpback whale calf has helped free its mother from a sandbank off North Stradbroke Island.

Television footage showed the calf desperately nudging its mother in an effort to free her from the sandbar in Moreton Bay's South Passage.

Just after 8am both animals could be seen splashing their tails and at about 8.10am they were able to swim off the bank and head for deeper water.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services had reportedly launched an operation to rescue the whale, and it is believed the pair had also been stranded overnight just off Dunwich, according to the Nine Network.