THE first humpback whales have been spotted in the waters of Hervey Bay ahead of the 2021 whale watching season.
PHOTO: Tasman Venture – Please note, this is not a photo of today’s sighting.
A pod of three sub-adult whales were seen off K’gari (Fraser Island) this morning.
Tasman Venture Hervey Bay whale watch guide Vicki Neville told Good News Fraser Coast the whales were seen off the beach at Coongul Creek, not far from Moon Point.
“It is really exciting that the first whales have been spotted,” said Vicki.
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She said it was not uncommon for young whales to be seen ahead of the main pods.
“Things will start to pick up from now, but it is still very early. The whale watching season only begins around mid-July.”
With the first whales spotted in the calm waters of Hervey Bay, operators will now be gearing up for what they hope will be a bumper season.
“We are expecting heaps of whales in the coming months,” explained Vicki.
“This is my 24th year involved in whale watching and I have been to many different places and nothing compares to Hervey Bay.
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“They don’t just pass by. We believe a third or even up to 50 per cent of the whales in the east coast group will come into Hervey Bay and spend 3 to 5 days or even up to a week here in the bay.
“Because they are here for so long, they’re calm and really inquisitive. They come up to boats and are always active.”
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With the official whale watching season still a few weeks away, Vicki said the passengers on this morning’s Remote Fraser Island Experience Tour were given a real treat.
“If you’re going to be on the water, keep an eye out, you might be lucky,” Vicki said.
Vicki urged locals to go on a whale watching trip this year, saying the best whale watching in the world was right on their doorstep.
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She said the new direct flights between Sydney and Hervey Bay would also encourage guests from other parts of the country to head to the Fraser Coast and support the local whale watching industry.
Thank you to Tasman Venture Hervey Bay for giving Good News Fraser Coast permission to repost the videos and a photo of a previous whale watching tour off their Facebook page.
