(CNN) Rescuers freed a humpback whale that got tangled in a shark net off the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

Video footage showed the whale struggling to try to free itself from the net, which was wrapped around its tail.

"Probably the most trying conditions we've seen for a while for an animal release," Rob McDonald with the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol told CNN affiliate Nine News Australia.

Choppy sea conditions on Thursday made it difficult for boats to reach the marine mammal, which was about 8 meters (26 feet) long.

A crew from Sea World Gold Coast helped with the rescue.

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