Winter (Jun, Jul, Aug) 9

Top Notch Operators

The Hervey Bay whale fleet is the most professional and advanced in Australia, helped by its location, operating in the Great Sandy Marine Park.

Hervey Bay became the first location in the country to offer commercial whale watching from boats, in 1986, and this leadership position was maintained in the years that followed with operators playing a key role in firstly setting up the marine park in 1989 and then establishing rules for whale-human interactions to protect the migrating humpbacks.

The humpback population had diminished because of large-scale whaling and poor conservation practices and pioneer Hervey Bay whale watch operators were at the forefront of the recovery campaign, working with stakeholders, including the Government. The sustainable code of practice for boat operators and their passengers has stood the test of 30 years of whale watching and been copied by other whale watching destinations around the globe. Today’s Hervey Bay whale fleet operates under strict regulations, aimed at ensuring the thousands of whales that come into Hervey Bay each year are protected – and that they keep coming back in greater numbers.

The Fraser Coast is identified as one of the most important destinations in Australia for migrating whales, because unlike all other areas of the coast, it is a place where whales break their 10,000km migration journey between the Tropics and Antarctica to rest for up to 10 days, supporting their young calves.

In 2019 this area, covering about 20 percent of the 6,000 square kilometre Great Sandy Marine Park, in a line from Rooney Point to Burrum Heads and south to below Big Woody Island, was declared the world’s first Whale Heritage Site.

Whales + Tour + Fraser

EXCLUSIVE ISLAND ESCAPES FOR NATURE LOVERS

It’s the most wonderful time of year on K’gari (Fraser Island), when we say HELLO to the humpbacks! Prepare for the adventure of a lifetime as you marvel at these majestic creatures from just metres away, PLUS ticking off the island’s most iconic sights on a guided 4WD tour.

$FROM759 * 3 nights' resort hotel accommodation Daily breakfast Return passenger ferry ex River Heads PER PERSON, Half-day whale watch cruise TWIN SHARE Beauty Spots Tour

PACKAGES AVAILABLE FROM AUGUST TO OCTOBER Call 1800 FRASER kingfisherbay.com

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The homing instincts of humpback whales choosing Hervey Bay as an annual migration stopover is what makes whale watching in local waters so special, because the whales are rested, relaxed and inquisitive while they are in local waters.

Often they come right up to boats or swimmers in what the locals call ‘mugging’ and there are few life-changing experiences more profound than being at arm’s length to one of the largest mammals on earth, eyeballing you from a metre’s distance.

Of an estimated east coast humpback population of more than 35,000, between 30 and 40 percent stop at Hervey Bay each year and their numbers are growing about 10 percent annually. It’s on their journey, between late July and the end of October, that juvenile whales and proud new parents with the cutest calves on earth make Hervey Bay their temporary home.

Scientific studies using fluke identification have proven that the same whales return each year, attracted to the warm, shallow waters of the Bay, which are free of predators.

Eleven whale watching vessels operate out of Hervey Bay and Fraser Island each season, offering sightseers everything from a fast three-hour excursion on the water to a half-day or a full-day sojourn in Platypus Bay. And whether you prefer to travel in a big group on a vessel with multiple decks, use glass viewing platforms or join a small number of passengers on a sailing catamaran, Hervey Bay has it covered.

Thousands of humpback whales return to Hervey Bay annually. Scientists and whale watch operators can identify them by the markings and the shape of their tails.

When: July–November Where: Hervey Bay Dolphins

When: Year round Where: Great Sandy Strait Dugongs

When: Year round Where: Great Sandy Strait

Our Marine Playground

Whale Behaviours

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. 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. Spy-Hop

Humpbacks will poke their heads out of the water to take a good look around at what you’re doing. They love watching you just as much as you love watching them. Breach

The humpbacks will show off by launching themselves out of the water and landing with a massive splash!

The 8 key facts that make Hervey Bay ‘the world’s best’

1Hervey Bay on Queensland’s Fraser Coast is the only destination on the Australian east coast where humpback whales break their 10,000km return migration from the Antarctic to the Tropics and stop to rest, play and recuperate in the warm, shallow waters near Fraser Island for up to two weeks.

2About one third (now thought to be 12,000 whales) of the total eastern Australian humpback whale population detour into Platypus Bay in Hervey Bay’s Great Sandy Marine Park every year.

3The whales and their calves spend time socialising, playing and resting, with many adult females returning every year – proven by more than 30 years of scientific study carried out by the Oceania Project and supported by the Hawaiian-based Pacific Whale Foundation research findings.

4This rest period, in what has become colloquially known as the “Hervey Bay whale nursery”, is thought to be essential for calves and younger humpback whales, preparing for the Southern Ocean and the serious predators they will encounter. 5The relaxed state of the whales and calves when they are resting and not migrating, provides deeply spiritual whale watching experiences for thousands of people each season. Here the whales are just as interested in the whale watchers as the watchers are in them – sometimes spending up to an hour fin-slapping, spy- hopping and breaching close to boats. 6The community of the Fraser Coast has embraced its “whale culture” through art, festivals and education, with the Hervey Bay whale fleet the first in Australia to adopt a strict code of conduct ensuring sustainable whale watching practices that have now been copied around the world.

7The region, encircled by the Great Sandy Marine Park, is one of the most pristine in the world, awarded UNESCO Biosphere status in 2009. At its centre is the largest sand island on the planet and the region’s most iconic tourist attraction – World Heritage-listed K’gari-Fraser Island, granted its own Reserve status by the UN in 1992.

8All these unique qualities resulted in the waters off Hervey Bay being recognised in October 2019 as the world’s first Whale Heritage Site, accredited by the World Cetacean Alliance. With World Heritage-listed K’gari-Fraser Island and the UNESCO designated Great Sandy Biosphere, the Fraser Coast is a region like few others.

Stopover routes

Great Migration Route Sandy Spit

Hervey Bay

Stay and Play

Fraser Island

WHALE MIGRATION ROUTE

WHALESONG CRUISES | Whale watching = lifetime memories Whether you choose the morning or the afternoon cruise, the experienced, informative, multi-lingual and hospitable crew will ensure you receive the best value for money Whale Watch experience. With extra wide decks, plenty of seating space and low passenger numbers (maximum 60% of actual capacity), everyone has a front row seat on this modern, environmentally friendly and luxurious, wheelchair-accessible vessel. Hydrophone to listen to the whales ‘sing’; informative and entertaining realtime commentary; personalised service. Whalesong is the only half-day boat that includes meals (morning: morning tea and bu et lunch, afternoon: afternoon tea and bu et dinner). Filtered water, tea, herbal tea, co ee and milo included throughout the cruise. Also available in Winter – Dolphin Watch and Whale Search cruise.

Shop 2, Great Sandy Straits Marina 17 Buccaneer Drive, Urangan | +61 7 4125 6222 info@whalesong.com.au www.whalesong.com.au

BLUE DOLPHIN MARINE TOURS

TripAdvisor Multi-Award Winning Tour Operator Eco-friendly sailing tours cruising the waters of Queensland’s stunning Hervey Bay and Fraser Island (K’gari) with small passenger numbers to ensure you get an up close, exclusive experience. On board Blue Dolphin you are well away from the large noisy crowds usually associated with whale watching tours plus we provide expert commentary – over 35 years’ experience with marine mammals. Outside of whale season our summer tours are a fantastic way to explore the waters of the Great Sandy Straits discovering our resident dolphins, dugongs and turtles with ample time for fun on the exclusive aqua mat and boom netting. Or try our fabulous Champagne Sunset Sails. • Exclusive Full Day Whale Encounters (incl. full bu et lunch, morning/afternoon tea) • Half Day Eco Sailing Adventures (Nov to Jul) • Champagne Sunset Sails (Nov to Jul) • Locally owned and operated for over 22 years

Great Sandy Straits Marina, Buccaneer Dr, Hervey Bay 07 4124 9600 | info@bluedolphintours.com.au www.bluedolphintours.com.au