A rescue mission is underway for a whale swimming in Tasmanian waters with its tail entangled in rope and buoys, two weeks after it was spotted in the same predicament off the Victorian coast.

On Sunday, Tasmanian Police received reports of an entangled southern right whale at Binalong Bay, with local tour operators and members of the public confirming the sighting.

It was first reported on September 12 caught in rope off Marengo, near Apollo Bay, over 200 kilometres from Binalong Bay.

Staff from Tasmania's Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) are now searching for the animal and will attempt to use specialist equipment to safely disentangle it.

A southern right whale calf spotted off Tasmanian coast and photographed by Alisha Roper of Bay Of Fires Eco Tours. ( Facebook: Bay Of Fires Eco Tours/Alisha Roper )

Owner of Bay of Fires Eco Tours Alisha Roper received a call from St Helen's Marine Rescue yesterday notifying her about the entangled whale, which she then was able to spot from land.

"We saw this whale start to breach out into the water and we all went 'that's fine, it's not entangled'," she said.

"But something just made us think, 'nah, let's just jump in the boat and go out and have a little bit of a closer look'."

She believed the entangled whale is actually a calf travelling with its mother.

"The calf only surfaced twice and certainly didn't put its tail or fins out of the water at all. It just surfaced to breath and then headed back down."

She said she could not say for certain if it's the same whale that was spotted at Apollo Bay.

"The picture that they have of the one at Apollo Bay, the buoy seemed to be tied right in close to the tail."

Ms Roper said the whale she had seen appeared to be trailing the buoy on a length of rope.

She urged anyone who thinks they may have sighted a whale to report it.

"It's better to ring up the whale hotline and report that you think you might've sighted one, rather than just go 'oh no, that's nothing, I didn't see it'."

Tricky operation for wildlife staff

Kayakers paddling close to this whale in 2017 were criticised for ignoring safe distances. ( Facebook: Dano Bacon )

DPIPWE Wildlife biologist Sam Thalmann said staff were concentrating on two areas around Binalong Bay and just north of Bicheno but had yet to sight it.

He could not say whether it was a calf or adult which was tangled.

"At this time we're not sure whether it is a calf from a mother and calf pair, or whether it is a juvenile animal that isn't attended by the mother," he said.

The operation to disentangle the whale will be tricky.

"Once the whale is located the disentangling technique can last for many hours, its very important that the whale is tired and approachable," he said.

"It could be a number of hours or even days that it can take before we can successfully approach to cut the material free, if at all that is possible.

"All entangling material can be life threatening to whales, the material on this whale will persist for many years and could certainly lead to a life-threatening injury."

Stay away from whale

Authorities have pleaded with members of the public to stay clear of the whale.

"Please do not attempt to rescue the animal yourself — these are large powerful animals and present a significant safety risk if approached too close," the Marine Conservation Program said in a statement.

Operators of drones and other aircraft also must observe prescribed safe distances from whales and dolphins, according to Australian guidelines.

Drones are "considered to be aircraft and this means that people operating drones near whales and dolphins must abide by the requirements of the EPBC Regulations that apply to aircraft or the relevant marine park, state or territory legislation," the Department of Environment and Energy states in its 2017 advice.

"Aircraft, including drones, may disturb whales and dolphins due to their speed, noise, shadow, or downdraft in the case of helicopters."

People are urged to report whale sightings in Tasmanian waters on 0427 942 537.

Whales are regular visitors to the waters off the Tasmanian coast, with spectators criticised for ignoring safety warnings during a visit by a whale to Hobart's River Derwent last year.