By David Allan-Petale
A humpback whale that became stranded on a weed bank just off Cheynes Beach near Albany in WA's Great Southern has managed to free itself and swim back out to sea.
The whale was first spotted by locals from the Cheynes Beach Caravan park around 4pm on Tuesday afternoon.
They called wildlife officers who came to observe the creature - but had to leave it to nature when night fell, hoping the incoming tide would allow it to lift itself off the weed bank and get to safety.
The whale had managed to turn itself toward the sea, away from the beach, but remained stuck fast.
Cheynes Beach Caravan Park owner Joanne Marsh broke the good news on her business' Facebook page early on Wednesday morning.
"It's gone! As mentioned in my last post, as the tide was reaching high it had moved from its original position at 10.30. High tide was at approx midnight last night and thankfully there was enough water for it to free itself," Ms Marsh wrote.
"DPAW are going to search the beach this morning just to make sure it made it out to sea. Well done whale we knew you could do it!!!! We are all ecstatic this morning."
Whale species like the humpback are a common sight in the waters off the Great Southern this time of year as they seek sheltered waters for calving and hunting.
A team of researchers from Murdoch University recently used a drone to capture footage of Southern Right Whales frolicking in waters off Augusta, including a white whale calf.
If you see injured or distressed wildlife, you can call the Wildcare Helpline on (08) 9474 9055.