UPDATE 5pm: THE disappearance of a humpback whale calf that was rescued Monday was a good sign, according to wildlife rescuers.

The one-week-old whale was stranded on Surfers Paradise Beach early Monday morning.

Sea World Rescue and Queensland Parks and Wildlife workers put the stranded animal back into the water in a last-ditch attempt to find its mother.

Sea World says in a statement that a mother and calf were seen this morning close to where the calf was left the night before.

“After examining vision and stills of the first calf spotted this morning, Sea World’s Director of Marine Sciences Trevor Long has confirmed that based on colour markings, it is not the calf from yesterday’s rescue,” the statement says.

“The Sea World team is cautiously optimistic that the calf was able to reunite with its mother overnight and continue its migration.

Beachgoers originally found the stranded 1.5-tonne calf on Surfers Paradise Beach about 1am on Monday.

Coolangatta Whale Watch co-owner Carol Hunt was on the water early that morning with other boats searching for the calf’s mother.

Helicopters also conducted an air search in the area.

“Finding the mother is the only way that this calf will survive,” Mrs Hunt had said.

“She is going to be difficult to find. We will be looking for a distressed female swimming in circles, and even that is hard to spot.”

Marine animal rescue workers used an excavator and a harness to put the newborn humpback whale back into the water about 10.30am.

The one-week-old male calf was towed back in the water in an effort to locate the mother.

The whale briefly got caught up in shark nets before swimming freely about one kilometre off shore.

Late in the afternoon rescuers from Sea World and Queensland Parks and Wildlife were monitoring the animal’s welfare. Workers hoped the mother would hear the calf’s call and return.

Sea World director of marine sciences Trevor Long said the mother was vital for the calf’s survival.

“Whales can communicate over very long distances in the water,” Mr Long said.