WATCH VIDEO: Whales come out to play off the Far North Queensland coast
Reef tourism
The rainy weather miraculously cleared up just in time for yesterday’s Fitzroy Island whale-watching tour to depart from the Cairns wharf, and it seems the whales were enjoying the beautiful sunny day just as much as us.
The crew were saying it was one of the best tours they had ever conducted as 6-8 humpbacks frollicked around the boat for more than an hour, playing together, breaching out of the water and slapping their tails on the surface.
The full boat of travellers on the Reef Unlimited tour were in awe at the sight, flocking to the sides of the boat as the guide pointed out parts of the clock where the whales were surfacing.
“Everybody look towards nine o-clock,” she would say excitedly over the ship microphone.
The crowd would then let out shrieks of joy at the range of whale manoeuvres.
The skipper was hanging back to give the whales their space, but they were swimming straight towards the boat and then underneath, pec slapping on the water and throwing their “peduncles” - the rear section of their body - in the air.
Couple this with the laidback beauty of a few hours on Fitzroy Island, and you have a great afternoon of touring the “golden triangle” where the whales like to migrate to from the colder waters of the south during this time every year.
Now is the peak humpback whale-watching season, so what are you waiting for?
The whales love putting on a show for you.
For further details about the tour, click HERE.
*Newsport editor Shaun Hollis was given a complimentary whale tour by Reef Unlimited so that he could film the majestic creatures in their wild habitat.