Hervey Bay is a splash of activity right now with the highest numbers of whales in 25 years taking time out to play and teach their new young the moves.
 

With whale watching boats operating into mid-November, there's still time to have an incredible close encounter of your own and be on the lookout for a possible Migaloo junior!

These amazing photos taken late last week show just how close you can get to the action.

Wally Franklin from The Oceania Project said there are a record number of whales migrating down the coast, with an estimated 14,000 whales in the eastern Australian humpback population.

"This is most certainly the highest number of whales we've seen and I have absolute confidence calves will continue to be seen into early November, with plenty of other adult whales accompanying them," he said.

Mother humpbacks are busy teaching their calves to breach, lob-tail, pectoral-slap and head-lunge and you can get front-row seats on any of the whale watching tours taking place daily from Hervey Bay. They might even give you a cheeky wink and a nudge.

Jill Perry from Hervey Bay Whale Watch said they have had plenty of repeat business with very happy customers doing up to five trips on their high-speed vessel, That's Awesome.

"September has been a bumper season in Hervey Bay with more whales than ever in our 25 years of operation," she said.

"Hervey Bay is the ONLY place the whales go people watching."

Like a chance meeting with your lifelong idol, a close encounter with the humpbacks is an intimate and humbling experience, and definitely one to tick off your bucket list.

Plan your whale encounter now at www.queensland.com/whales

For more information and/or high res images, contact:
Katie Macdonald
Market Communications Manager - Americas
Tourism Queensland
+1 (310) 695-3253
katie.macdonald@tq.com.au