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THE FRASER COAST HAS LONG BOASTED OF WORLD HERITAGE LISTED FRASER ISLAND AND EASY ACCESS TO THE SOUTHERN GREAT BARRIER REEF, BUT NOW HERVEY BAY HAS ADDED TO ITS APPEAL THROUGH WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION AS ONE OF THE PLANET’S VERY BEST PLACES TO VIEW HUMPBACK WHALES.
Whale Festival NO OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD COMPARES TO THE AWE-INSPIRING, SOUL-STIRRING, UP-CLOSE WHALE WATCHING ENCOUNTERS THAT YOU WILL FIND IN HERVEY BAY. WHAT BETTER REASON TO CELEBRATE AND PROMOTE THE CONSERVATION OF OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT WITH THE ANNUAL HERVEY BAY WHALE FESTIVAL. Held in late July, the festival combines an eclectic and colourful mix of events and starts with the Blessing of the Fleet, a 16th century old tradition from the Mediterranean. An evening of free music, market stalls, a sail by of vessels and an impressive fireworks display accompany an abundance of food stalls, restaurants and cafés open late. Then relax and feast with the men and women of the seafood industry in perfect winter sunshine. The Hervey Bay Seafood Festival boasts the best of the local wild catch for a day filled with fun, fishy talk and fabulous food.
visitfrasercoast.com
If you love to party, join the ultimate beach party at the Whale Parade and Concert. Colourful beach-themed floats make their way along the illuminated Esplanade with plenty of costumes,
carnival rides, live music, market and food stalls. How about flying a kite at the Fraser Coast Kite Karnival, a fantastic event for the whole family, with giant novelty kites in the shape of manta rays, whales and octopuses and other sea creatures. Finally, the Whale Festival wraps up with the conservation message promoted through fun workshops for kids, speakers, and entertainment. And if you can muster up something that floats, join in the Paddle Out for Whales, where we send a message that our community doesn’t support whaling.
For all festival details go to WHALEFESTIVAL.COM.AU
Had an amazing encounter with a gentle giant? Share your experience at #whalesherveybay
Eco-tourism
Immerse yourself
A WORLDWIDE SHIFT TOWARDS ECO-TOURISM HAS OCCURRED AS TRAVELLERS DISCOVER A RENEWED LOVE FOR NATURE BASED EXPERIENCES. THIS TREND HAS HELPED TO ESTABLISH HERVEY BAY AS A MECCA FOR THOUSANDS OF NATURE LOVERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
HERVEY BAY IS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD TO OFFER AMAZING, UNFORGETTABLE IMMERSIVE HUMPBACK WHALE EXPERIENCES.
Scientists tell us that the protected waters of Hervey Bay provide a natural haven for whales to rest, nurture their newborns, mate and play, giving the best chance to see these animals up close and personal from one of the many whale watching tours available. It’s no wonder that whale researchers, scientists and whale lovers alike travel to Hervey Bay from July to November each year to be a part of the whales’ annual migration journey. It’s a marked difference from the 1950s when thousands of whales were slaughtered off the Australian coastline for blubber and oil. During that time, 6,277 whales were processed at the closest whaling station on Moreton Island. Nowadays more than that number of whales visit Hervey Bay each year! Whaling was estimated to create about $30 million annually Australia wide, until the whale population was almost extinct by the early 1960s. Today, the whale watching industry boosts the economy
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by more than that figure in Hervey Bay alone each year!
Those wanting to be within arm’s reach of the gentle giants can climb into the water tethered to a mermaid line and float next to the vessel or be lowered into the water on a special platform, allowing the whales to freely approach them.
From humble beginnings in 1987, whale watching is now an integral part of the prosperity of Hervey Bay and an example of an industry that is economically sustainable and supportive of positive values and a major contributor to the local community. Bookings are essential for whale watching tours. Visit ...
1800 214 789 or 1800 811 728
WHALESHERVEYBAY.COM
Fraser Coast Visitor Information Centre
Information and Bookings
Whale Festival Blessing of the Fleet
Great Sandy Straits Marina 17 Buccaneer Drive, Urangan
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Top 10 things you didn’t know about whales
Did you know? HERVEY BAY IS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD WHERE YOU WANT TO GET ‘MUGGED’. THIS IS WHAT THE WHALE WATCH OPERATORS CALL IT WHEN THEIR BOAT IS SURROUNDED BY THESE GENTLE GIANTS.
Nala’s story more text here ...
About to Fin-slap
TAIL FLUKE Diving down into the water, the humpbacks will throw their tails up and bring them down hard and fast onto the water to make a loud slap!
SPY-HOP
DISCOVERY SPHERE They’ll poke their heads out of the water
more text here to take a good look at what you’re doing!
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They love watching you just as much as you love watching them!
Humpbacks are a moderately large species. They grow up to 17.5 metres in length (females are larger than males).
WHALE SEASON
BREACH more text here The humpbacks will show off by launching themselves out of the water and landing with a massive SPLASH!
Their pectoral fins are one-third the length of their body. They weigh up to 45 tonne and can hold their breath for 40 minutes. The knobby protuberances on their head are called ‘tubercles’. These contain a single hair thought to provide a sensory function.
The migration season str etc from July to November hes
ARTWORKS more text here
Each whale’s tail is distinctive and considered to be their ‘fingerprint’. Humpbacks have a cruising speed of approx. 7 km/hr (3.8 knots). They have between 270 and 400 baleen plates on each side of their upper jaw.
A HIGHWAY LIKE NO OTHER Between July and November, thousands of humpback whales travel the ‘humpback highway’ and arrive in the calm, protected waters of Hervey Bay.
Their scientific name, Megaptera novaengliae, translates to ‘big winged New Englander’ in reference to their large pectoral fins and the location of the first humpback whale ever described. During migration, humpbacks can travel up to 6,000 km each way. Mating and calving occurs in the northern waters of Australia (eg. Whitsundays / Cairns). Feeding occurs in Antarctica.
DISCLAIMER: This map is for illustrative purposes only and is not to scale
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For all the festival details go to www.whalefestival.com.au
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Hervey Bay Kite Karnival
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To check out the upcoming events and festivals visit
frasercoastevents.com
Events
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Unlike any other place along the ‘humpback highway’, the whales will stop and spend up to 10 days, resting, socialising and playing before VISITFRASERCOAST.COM/WEBSITE continuing their trip back to??? the Antarctic for the summer months.
FIN-SLAP The humpbacks love rolling around and frolicking in the water. You’ll often see them splashing about, slapping their fins on the water to create a splash!