The bay receives protection from fraser island on the east and the mainland of australia to the south and west, making this a pleasant spot to witness humpback whales in nature. Most tours will operate from the end of august until the end of october. Whale watching is when observers gather to view these majestic creatures display behavioural stunts and acrobatics. More than 7,000 whales holiday in the fraser coast on their 5,000km migration from antarctica to teach their baby calves sweet skills like breaching, spy hopping, tummy flashes and plenty of other survival tools. Being on a boat with 12 or 24 passengers is a different experience to cruising with 200 passengers. During september and october hervey bay is dominated by mature females with new calves. Compare the whale watching tour schedules below or the whale watching tour features. Invariably during the season inquisitive humpbacks, referred to as friendlies, will approach whale watching boats very closely, often staying under or near the boat for many minutes. Hervey bay whale watch operate two half day whale watch cruises daily during whale season mid july oct on board quick cat ii a purpose built whale watching vessel. Hervey bay is one of the best whale watching spots in australia.
If you want to stay up to date and see some of our awesome videos remember to check in on our youtube and facebook. After 30 years of running and operating hervey bay whale watch they sold the business to the peaker family long time friends in 2017. The recovering humpback population has made for record whale watching seasons in recent years, with anywhere up to 30,000 whales expected to pass hervey bay during their migrating journey. Hervey bay, known as the whale watching capital of the world is an area of beautiful scenery, great bars and restaurants, and unique activities which cant be done anywhere else. Produced in partnership between tourism and events queensland teq and fraser coast tourism and events fcte, the 90 second video is a compelling. The hervey bay whale season runs from august to october. The 2018 hervey bay ocean festival pacific whale foundation. A cloudless blue sunny day, 23 degrees, with a southeasterly wind. All hervey bay whale watching operators guarantee sightings or a free ticket for another cruise from july 28th to october 14th, with plentiful whales in the bay. From july to november hervey bay has whales everywhere, resting and playing in the calm waters sheltered by world heritage listed fraser island. The whale watching season in hervey bay queensland. Best whale watching tour in hervey bay everything you need to. Our whale watching tours from hervey bay commence in midjuly and extend to early november as part of the humpback whales annual migration along the east coast of australia. Hervey bay fly and sportfishing guide andrew chorley was quick to snap a photo of this brydes whale feeding in the shallows off the sandy strait on sunday.
The humpback whale season in hervey bay is from mid july to early november. Each year, the whale watching season in hervey bay starts in july and ends when the whales leave usually november in hervey bay, whale watching tours fall into a number of categories that would suit different types of whale watchers. One of the most famous whales a person can spot during the whale migration season is migaloo, the allwhite humpback whale. From july until october you can experience whale watching tours with blue dolphin tours from hervey bay. Set sail on our unforgettable hervey bay whale watching tours. If your priority is whale watching, go with another.
Humpback whales love the sheltered stretch of water between the mainland and fraser island, so they always take a break from their long journey here and can be spotted playing with their young for several days at a time. Pacific whale foundation australia whalewatch in hervey bay. There is nothing quite like seeing a humpback whale launch itself out of the ocean a few metres away and thats the experience you can have if you travel to hervey bay during whale season. By late october there are fewer whales in the bay and operators end whale watching on the 31st of october. Hi everyone, i will be in hervey bay the first week of january. Nsw whale watching season wild about whales nsw national. Whale watching season starts late july and ends november each year many humpback whales arrive in hervey bay from late july and remain until november when they begin their return to the southern ocean. First whales of the season spotted off fraser island. Each year over 30,000 humpback whales migrate past our beaches on their annual migration to the warmer waters of hervey bay and beyond. Quick cat ii has 5 viewing decks on 3 different levels to ensure uncrowded and unobstructed viewing.
What is the season for whale watching in hervey bay. The best time to see the humpback whales in hervey bay is midjuly to mid november. In hervey bay, the humpback whale watch season runs from 1 august til the end of october with some of the most prolific whale spotting in australia. Hervey bay is a world class whale watching destination located 3hrs north of brisbane in the state of queensland, australia. Hervey bay is the whale watching capital of australia but there are also plenty of opportunities to see whales in their element all along the queensland coast.
Whalesong cruises is usually the first boat to launch for the season, and from late june will start whale search dolphin watch cruises. Here are seven locations to go whale watching in queensland. Instead they exhibit a range of playful behaviours. Hervey bay is a particularly good spot for whale watching as the whales are not constantly on the move. Where to go whale watching in queensland, australia. Hervey bay whale watching capital of australia humpback whales. If youre looking for a whale watching experience that youll talk about for the rest of. The whale watching season in hervey bay runs from july november. Any point going whale watching in hervey bay in jan. Tour operators arrange flexible whale watching tours at different times of the day or even during the whole day. Whale watching season at hervey bay is not done in the open sea but is actually done within the bay, where waters are nice and calm.
This can be done from the charter boats or the shore in certain regions. There appears to be a morning trip and an afternoon trip for whalewatching offered by hervey bay whale company. With just a couple of months to go for 2018 s whale watching season now is the time to book yourself on a tour. The hervey bay whale watching season 2018 is fantastic. The whale watching capital of australia, hervey bay, is a popular spot for our biggest coastal visitors, the humpback whales from june to november. Hervey bay is also a great spot as most of the humpback whales from the great barrier reef region stopover for a few days on their return trip, providing a wonderful opportunity for whale enthusiasts. Hervey bay whale watch has been a family run business for over 30 years here in hervey bay, queensland. Whale watching in hervey bay, queensland initially, when i was going to travel up the east coast of australia, it wasnt going to line up with whale season, so i had accepted that i wouldnt get to see then make their way up the coast. Early season whale spotted by fishing guide fraser coast. I will be doing a oneday fraser island tour so whale watching would be a separate thing. What everyone ought to know about whale watching hervey bay. The whales start to arrive in july and tours begin in the middle of the month. Hervey bay whale watch has been a family run business for over 30 years here in.
I arrived in hervey bay not long after the whales, so of course the first thing i did was book a whale watching tour. Our research team has finished up data collection from the 2018 field season, and what a season it was. Whale watching tours and dolphin watching tours across hervey bay and fraser island. Hervey bay is the perfect camping destination for anyone and everyone families, couples, backpackers, even for a girls or blokes trip. In preparation for the upcoming whale season, the department of environment and science des, the responsible agency for all marine strandings, organised a training event on the sunshine coast to increase the capacity of not only council but also interested community members to assist in responding to these events. Hervey bay is a stopover for mature female humpback whales. Pacific whale foundation has been studying humpback whales in hervey bay for over 30 years, providing us with longterm sightings data in the form of our south pacific humpback whale catalogue. The whale season normally begins from about july to november. I did see, however, a new airline advertise direct flights from melbourne starting in 2018, so look out for that too. So confident are the whale watching operators that youll see the whales, most even offer a moneyback guarantee over the winter period. Wild about whales is a celebration of whales along the nsw coastline. May 18, 2018 whale season 2018 is upon us, and our whale watching tours will be running daily from now until midnovember. Brian and jill perry began commercial whale watching in australia back in 1987 in the.
If your priority is whale watching, go with another company. Widley regarded as one of the best whale watching destinations in the world, hervey bay is second to none in terms of whale watching. Hervey bay whale watch offer two half day whale watching cruises aboard quick cat ii, departing daily from the great sandy straits marina during whale season 14th july 31st october. The bay receives protection from fraser island on the east and the mainland of australia to the south and west, making this a.
Whale season 2018 so far august 2019 were nearly halfway through the 2018 hervey bay whale season already and its been a phenomenal start one we thought was worth sharing. Spirit of hervey bay offers unbelievable whale watching tours that get you up close and personal with the worlds most magnificent creatures. June 1st is the official start of whale watching season in hervey bay, queensland. The best hervey bay whale watching cruises drop bear. A cloudless blue sunny day, 23 degrees, with a southeasterly. The hervey bay whale watching season begins on the 19th of july with whalesong beginning their season with a whalesearch from the 7th of july. Whale muggings are common, when one or more of these curious creatures approaches and stays close to the boat for an extended period of time.
Mar 22, 2012 amazing whale watch footage with whales singing right next to the boat. Hervey bay whale watching capital of australia humpback. Whale watching in hervey bay, queensland young and undecided. Whale watching hervey bay the ultimate guide to choosing a tour. Initially, when i was going to travel up the east coast of australia, it wasnt going to line up with whale season, so i had accepted that i wouldnt get to see then make their way up the coast. The boat, the spirit of hervey bay for those who would like to know, set off at around 1. Well over humpback whales arrive in the waters between hervey bay and fraser island in late august and early september. To celebrate the whales arrival, hervey bay hosts a celebration worthy of a whale welcome paddle out for whales just one of the many events under the annual hervey bay whale festival umbrella. Whale watching hervey bay the ultimate guide to choosing. Cruise the sheltered waters of platypus bay whilst taking in breathtaking sights as we travel along the beautiful white sandy banks of fraser islands beaches to the whales playground. Based on personal experience and experience of other whale watches midjuly to end november is the time to go for whale watching on hervey bay. Here are a few highlight pictures from our 2018 whale season thus far.
Mature females visit hervey bay during august in company with the cohort of immature males and females. During this time whales have made hervey bay a resting home for themselves and their baby whales so they not only spend a lot of time here before migrating but also naturally are very active and playful. The humpbacks of hervey bay are also the most active, playful and inquisitive whales found anywhere in the world. This can commence shortly prior to the month of june and the season has been known to extend beyond november. Each year thousands of these gentle giants rest, play and nurture their young in the sheltered waters of hervey bay. The number of whales migrating have been steadily increasing in recent years, which has also seen an increase in the number of stranded and dead animals on. Going with what we knew, we booked this trip with freedom whale watch again, for the sake of fun and familiarity with the great boat and crew. Whale watching tours hervey bay is an absolutely globally unique location for humpback whales geographically there is no place like hervey bay on any other humpback migratory path anywhere in the world dr wally franklin whale researcher in hervey bay for 25 years and founder of the oceania project. Theres good news in 2018 is that scientists believe more than 33,000 southern hemisphere humpback whales will make the. Whale watching in hervey bay has become an important attraction for tourists and naturalists. July november is whale watching season in beautiful hervey bay, and whale watching operators are running full and half day cruises every day out of the great sandy straits marina until the end of october. Hervey bay whale watch operate two half day whale watch cruises daily during whale season mid july oct on board quick cat ii a purpose built whale.
These creatures visit the bay near this coastal community on their migration south along the eastern coast of australia, a part of the humpback highway that will eventually lead. All hervey bay whale watching operators guarantee sightings or a free ticket for another cruise from july 28th to october 14th, with plentiful whales in the bay from the start of august. The ultimate guide to taking a whale watching family vacation in hervey bay with tips on when to go, which tour to take and where to stay. Call us on 1800 088 511 or enquire here for help choosing the best whale watching tour for you. With our whale tours and packages based around the activities of one of the larger species, the humpback whale, we treat passengers to an experience unlike any other. The best time to visit hervey bay is during the whale watching season between august to october when several operators run cruises in the bay to observe the whales that stop to rest for a while with their calves during their migration to antarctica. Hervey bay whale watch brian and jill perry began commercial whale watching in australia back in 1987 in the calm, pristine waters of hervey bay. Each year, the festival includes a variety of events and activities designed to connect visitors and locals alike with the marine environment and animals that are unique and important to the region. Operators are reporting their best seasons on record with unbelievable daily close encounters stunning visitors and locals alike. Whale watching tours, hervey bay see the majestic humpback. Whale watching tours during whale season in hervey bay whale watching tours are very common in this season, and it is what most tourists are excited about in the first place. Book online today or call us to discuss your tour booking requirements. Hervey bay local vicki neville is the hero in the latest queensland tourism promotional video as she invites tourists to connect with nature during the regions annual whale watching season. Is there a better chance early morning or is there no real difference, just luck.
Get the latest sightings, learn whale facts and plan your next coastal adventure. Hervey bay whale watch is a family run business in hervey bay for over 30 years. The best time to see the humpback whales in hervey bay is midjuly to midnovember. The best months to see whales in large numbers are august and september. Were nearly halfway through the 2018 hervey bay whale season already and its been a phenomenal start one we thought was worth sharing. Last year we went slightly earlier in the whale watching season hervey bay in midjuly. In a celebration of this unique relationship, the hervey bay ocean festival was started in 1994 to recognise the importance of the ocean to the community of hervey bay. Amazing whale watch footage with whales singing right next to the boat. Day 3 of whale season 2018 and were loving it so much activity from these majestic creatures already. Tens of thousands of whales are expected to pass through the best whale watching spots on the nsw coast. During the season, thousands of majestic humpbacks visit the calm protected waters of the bay for their annual holiday, and allow guests the opportunity to get up close and personal with these marine mammals like nowhere. The season for whale watching is typically between june and november each year.