Another magical year.

This is the third year in a row we have come back to swim with these majestic animals. It is so humbling to be bobbing on the top of the water like a tiny ant with three giants of the ocean gracefully swimming below us, so close I could have reached out and touched them. They move their bodies into a position where they have eye contact with us. The moment they look me in the eye it’s like, there is a connection, like a thousand years of knowing, of understanding passing between us. I have been seen, and they know who and what I am. That probably sounds corny, but until you experience it, it’s difficult to explain. It is life changing. Since my first close encounter with a humpback in 2022, I have never looked at the ocean in the same way. It is more than an expanse of water, it is life source, a highway, an extraordinary world.

Hervey Bay, in Queensland, Australia, became the world’s first certified Whale Heritage Site in October, 2019.

“Hervey Bay is renowned for viewing the Southern Humpback whale between July to November, with the population on the rise and recovering after a history of whaling. In May, they leave their rich feeding grounds in Antarctica and undergo a 5000 km migration to their breeding grounds north of Fraser Island, in Whitsundays. At the beginning of the season, adult individuals are likely to be seen, while mothers and their calves arrive towards the end. They use the Hervey Bay site as a ‘whale nursery’ for resting and socialising, for about five days, before they undertake their long migration back to Antarctica. Hervey Bay is one of the few places in the world where multiple mothers and calves join together in one pod.” https://www.wildlifeheritageareas.org/explore-areas/hervey-bay-cetacean-heritage-area/

For more information on this map click here.

For more information on research of Humpback Whales in Hervey Bay click here.

Tour

Hervey Bay Dive Centre is the only operator offering Swim with Whales in Hervey Bay. Their level of expertise and knowledge about the whales and about the local area makes for an amazing experience. You can check out our 2022 blog post here, and our 2023 blog post here.

Our tour took us into the waters of Platypus Bay. Deep, calm water sheltered by K’gari.

Rules for swimming with Humpback whales

There are many rules and legislation around swimming with whales. 

• Swimming is not allowed with mothers and calves (babies) 
• Boats can not go any closer than 100 metres to a whale 
• If the whale decides to come to the boat then swimmers may enter the water 10 at a time. 
• Scuba diving with whales is prohibited because they don’t like bubbles 
• Swimmers are not allowed to use fins/flippers Kicking and splashing is not allowed 
• Each swimmer must hold the rope at all times and must not try to approach or touch a whale

Fun facts about humpback whales

• Commonly thought to live aprox 50 years, new research suggests it’s more like 100 years.
• They reach sexual maturity about 6 years of age
• On average a female will give birth every second year.
• Babies, (calves) stay with their mothers for one year.
• A calf will suckle up to 500 litres of milk per day
• From 1 year to 6 years old they have left their mothers and are very inquisitive seeking out a boat to have a look.
• The males sing songs. Each migration they sing a new new song. The songs are taken up by other humpbacks going from west to east around the globe.
• The songs are very complex and lengthy
• The underside of the tail (fluke) has permanent, unique markings, thus individuals can be identified from one year to the next.

Around Hervey Bay

Camp Ground

Once again we stayed at Torquay Caravan Park and would stay there again (Torquay is a suburb of Hervey Bay). Whale season is peak season in Hervey Bay so getting a camp site anywhere in the area is difficult. If you intend to visit, book well in advance.

Heading Home

We decided to explore some bush camp grounds on the way home.

First was Wongi Waterholes Camp Area, in the Wongi State Forest. The dirt road in was good, camp area was peaceful, spacious, flat and had showers and toilets. But we probably wouldn’t bother going again; there were no walking paths, lots of mud, the water holes were covered in weed and not a lot of bird life.

Second night stop was Sublime Farm and Brewery. We camped amongst the citrus grove, next to the brewery. Would love to come back when there is live music or an event on. The night sky photos were taken with my iPhone. The Milky Way was so clear and bright.

Our last overnight stop was Cedar Grove on Amamoor Creek. We stopped at Amamoor for lunch on the way in. This was our favourite stop. Grassy flat ground, fire pits (byo wood) rainforest walks, a swimming hole, flush toilets, big trees for shade and so much bird life.

On our way out the next morning we drove a little way further along Amamoor Creek to where the Gympie Muster Music Festival is held each year. Amazing how many paddocks had been converted into camp areas, all with fire pits. Apparently aprox 30,000 people attend the festival each year. We might have to go next year.

On the way home we stopped at a roadhouse on the highway, to fill the car. There we met two young people from Denmark. Someone had left them there saying the bus would go through (no bus stops at the roadhouse). To make their flight the next morning they needed to get to Brisbane that night. So we gave them a lift to Nambour Railway Station, (about an hours drive away). Half way there we got a flat tyre on the caravan, Manno and Martine were delighted as they had only ever had one lesson on changing a car tyre and eagerly helped Tim jack the van and change the tyre, making sure they got lots of photos to show friends. They certainly had an adventure getting to the airport that day.

cheers til next time, Helen & Tim