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Whale Watching Cruises and Tours | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The quality of whale watching in Hervey Bay is now recognised as possibly the best in the world, an experience of a lifetime. Whilst migrating whales can be seen from a number of areas along the East Coast, generally this happens in open waters, like the Coral Sea, South Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, with the usual ocean swells and whales in transit, continually swimming. But in Hervey Bay the whales take a break for a few days. Here these big animals will play and rest after the mating season, while the females bring their new-born calves, before continuing south to Antarctica. And what a superb area for whales and whale watchers alike.
A visit to the Hervey Bay Marine Park is educational and entertaining.
Humpback whales are the most acrobatic of all the big whales. As well as being described as the "gentle giant", their inquisitive nature often brings them alongside the boat, creating mixed reactions from the passengers - from nervous laughter to applause and screams. Some people even have tears in their eyes or are totally speechless. One of the most spectacular sights is that of the Humpback whale breaching. Whales breach for a number of reasons: to frighten off predators, to communicate, to see above the surface or out of sheer enjoyment. They have to learn how to breach and often females spend hours teaching their calves. Humpbacks do not "perform" for us and there should never be any promises of what passengers will see. It appears however, that weather conditions can have a marked influence on the behaviour patterns: calm days often brings close gentle encounters, whilst windy days can provide spectacular breaches and head lunges. But sometimes even the Humpbacks are overshadowed by the ever present common and spinner dolphins, at times in groups of hundreds. As well as seeing dolphins there are many opportunities to see very large turtles, the odd bronze whaler, hammerhead or white pointer shark, sea snakes and dugongs. Hervey Bay has certainly earned its reputation as being a leader in providing a first class, well managed, sustainable whale watching industry.
Whale
Watching in Hervey Bay
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