Travel

A whale of a time in the Whitsundays

Jul 24, 2018

A holiday in the Whitsundays is fabulous at any time of the year, but especially right now when you not only get to escape the cold of winter, but also stand a really good chance of spotting whales on their annual migration.

Cruise Whitsundays offers days cruises and resort transfers between a number of places in the Whitsundays, including the Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven Beach, the port of Airlie, Shute Harbour and Daydream, Hamilton and Hayman Islands. Not only do they get to work in one of the most beautiful place in the world, but they also get to see whales all the time during the season!

We spoke to Crystal Lacey, senior cruise director with Cruise Whitsundays, to get the goss on this year’s whale-watching season…

When did you first spot whales this year?

“Sunday June 3 – the first one spotted was a minke whale, with a humpback only days behind. The humpbacks are the most common and we see them almost every day during the season, but there have been a few sightings of minke whales so far this season, too.”

What’s it been like since then?

“We see whales every day, but the sightings are quite dependent on the weather – if it’s rough it’s a lot harder to sight the whales unless they’re being quite active. When the weather’s good we can stop with the whales in close proximity to the vessel; other days we watch the whales breaching, tail slapping and on the move from afar.

What sort of groupings do you normally see?

“It varies – there have been small groups of three or four. More commonly it’s mothers and calves, or mothers and juveniles.”

What’s the action been like so far?

“We’ve had some interaction with the boats, and lots of breaching and tail- and peduncle-slapping.” [Ed’s note: We had to look this up, too – the peduncle is the narrowest part of the whale’s body, just before the tail. Other interesting things we learned: there are no bones in a whale tail, and the fins are actually called ‘flukes’.]

Tell us about a whale encounter that you and your guests have experienced so far this season…

“We had a great day with two whales interacting well in close proximity to the vessel [see video below, courtesy Reef Safari Photography]. We also had a single humpback whale right next to our pontoon out at the Reef, even swimming within the snorkelling area! It was late in the afternoon and our Reefsleep passengers and pontoon staff were able to witness this amazing animal’s inquisitive nature up close.”

When does the season end?

“Late August/early September.”

Based on previous years and your knowledge of things like the weather, when do you expect it to be peak time for whale watching?

“Right about now! In July and August you’re almost guaranteed to see whales on the Great Barrier Reef cruise.”

What tip would you give people on one of your tours?

“When you’re taking photos of the whales, try to get some quality shots of their tails and then send them in to the GBRMPA (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority). They can then forward these photos on to scientists to help with whale research and identification.”

What’s something that might surprise whale-watchers?

“Some whales like noise, so if they start breaching and ‘putting on a show,’ they enjoy all the clapping and cheering! As long as the whales feel comfortable and relaxed (especially mothers with young calves), they become quite inquisitive about the vessel and the people on it.”