The whale watching season is in full swing in Hervey Bay
with operators reporting daily 'muggings' from pods of humpbacks.
A mugging happens when the inquisitive humpbacks come in
close for a better look, often spending hours at a time circling the boat and
playing up to visitors.
Greg Kaufman from Pacific Whale Foundation has been
conducting vital research in Hervey Bay for more than two decades and said Hervey Bay
was unique in that it's the only area in the world where humpbacks consistently
approach vessels.
"The curious humpbacks of Hervey Bay
provide some of the most unusual and prolonged encounters with humans," he
said.
"These 'muggings' are very unusual and have made whale
watching in Hervey
Bay legendary."
Photos taken during the past two weeks in Hervey Bay
show just how close the whales come to the boats, with guaranteed sightings
giving thousands of visitors an amazing experience to take home with them.
Jodie Lynch from Blue Dolphin Marine Tours said they had
also experienced a huge amount of muggings by friendly whales this month.
"Helen, our crew member who has swum with minke whales
in Cairns and humpbacks in Tonga, is blown away by the interaction of the Hervey Bay
humpbacks. We have to force her to have a day off!"
Whale watching in Hervey
Bay is not just a one-off
experience either, with three distinct seasons during the migration.
"Hervey
Bay is a preferred area
for yearlings and sub-adult (sexually immature whales), followed by mature
females in late August, and then we begin to see mothers with newborn calves in
September and October," Mr Kaufman said.
"By mid-September the mature males have found the bay,
and the waters come alive with their haunting songs.
"The arrival of the males also means increased activity
with males competing with one another for access to females.
"This means more aerial movement such as breaching
(leaping nearly out of the water), and many head, tail and flipper
displays."
With school holidays just around the corner, there are still
great deals available to have your very own up-close-and-personal whale
encounter in Hervey
Bay.
Go to www.queensland.com/whales
for more information.
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