If you are in Australia, you can’t afford to miss the whale watching. Australia is one of the finest places on the globe to watch humpback whales as they migrate along the East and West Australian coasts each winter.
The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is so named because of its long pectoral fins. It is the fifth largest of all the whales (up to 15 meters long and around 40 tones in weight). The females grow to a slightly greater length than the males.
Almost anywhere along the East Coast, you can enjoy superb whale watching. Whale watching boats are the best way to see whales, as they can quietly follow the humpbacks, sometimes a few kilometers offshore.
Make sure to observe the whale watching guidelines, if you’re approaching whales in boats. All vessels must stay at least 100 meters from a whale, and 200 meters if it’s with calf. The whale’s curiosity sometimes gets the better of them though, and they’ll swim right up to your boat and look inside.
Short and long-finned pilot whales, minke whales, orcas whales and blue whales are the other whales seen on the East and west coasts. The pilot whales are occasionally seen in Jervis Bay and offshore while the orcas are sometimes seen at Montague Island in May/June and in October/November.
You can see hundreds of bottlenose dolphins, busily leaping in all directions at the marine park of Hervey Bay. Hervey Bay is generally recognized as being the whale watch capital of Australia.
Whale watching in Hervey Bay is unique. An experience like this will force you to come back each year like the Humpback whales in Hervey Bay.
Source: yachtchartersmagazine
