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Whale-watching from Hervey Bay
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Humpbacked whales
are among the most exciting of marine creatures to encounter: growing to 16m long and 36 tonnes, they make their presence known from a distance by their habit of "breaching" - making spectacular, crashing leaps out of the water - and expelling jets of spray as they exhale. Prior to 1952 an estimated ten thousand whales made the annual journey between the Antarctic and tropics to breed and give birth in shallow coastal waters; a decade later whaling had reduced the population to just two hundred animals. Now protected, their numbers are increasing and you're fairly likely to see one if you put out to sea between Brisbane and the Whitsundays during the
whale-watching season
. In Hervey Bay, this lasts only from late July until October, however; the whales follow the coast, and because Fraser Island leans outwards they're deflected away from Hervey Bay coming up from the south, but get funnelled into its constricted waters when returning. The town makes the most of their visit with an August
Whale Festival
, and operators are always searching for new gimmicks to promote
day-cruises
and
flights
. In perfect conditions you'll see whales breach, swim directly under the boat and raise their heads out of the water, close enough to touch. You might also, of course, see nothing at all. Whether all this voyeurism disturbs the animals is unclear, but they seem at least tolerant of the attention paid to them.
For
flights
, try Air Fraser Island (tel 07/4125 3600); the cost is from $55 per person (depending on the number of passengers) for a thirty-minute buzz.
Cruises
last for a morning or a full day, costing upwards of $65-80 per person, and are booked through an agent; some get very crowded - check the boat size and how many will be going.
Princess II
(the cheapest vessel),
Tasman Venture II
,
Hombre
,
Whalesong
and
Volante III
all come recommended, while
Spirit of Hervey Bay
(the most expensive) has the bonus of being a glass-bottomed vessel. For the added pleasure of sailing out to the whales, make arrangements with the yacht
Stefanie
through your booking agents, or free call tel 1800 650 776. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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