A WHALE that swam thousands of kilometres from Victoria entangled in fishing ropes has been freed in Gold Coast waters.

A team of Sea World divers today freed the juvenile humpback whale of the fishing ropes and floats believed to be from Portland, Victoria.

The Sea World research and rescue team learned of the distressed whale yesterday afternoon after a member of the public sighted it off Narrowneck.

Aerial and water searches located the animal and monitored it overnight until first light this morning when it was freed just off Burleigh.

Sea World marine sciences director Trevor Long said today the whale would probably have died of fatigue from carrying the heavy load if it had not been freed in time.