Whales, whales, Humpback Whales, humpback whales, whale watching, Whale Watching, Fraser Island

The Humpback Whales of Hervey Bay stop off for rest and play in the shallow waters of Hervey Bay, the Bay is protected from the effects of ocean waves by Fraser Island which is a natural barrier to the strong currents of the ocean.

Fraser Island Whale Watching

Oz Magic the Web Site

Gateway page to 100 special Humpback Whale photos

Page May Load Slowly

The Humpback Whales of Hervey Bay

Here in Hervey Bay you can enjoy one of the greatest experiences on earth, our Humpback Whales. They rest and play here as they take a break from their annual migration of 16,000 kilometres to Antartica. These beautiful animals are thought to be the most acrobatic of all the big whales, given their huge bodies, it is amazing to watch them leap high into the air with a flick of its tail.

One of the friendliest whales you will be thrilled as they approach your boat, often putting their head out of the water to look at you eye to eye, it is then that you feel the connection and it is then that you realise that these are not just dumb animals but an intelligent, thinking mammal. The whale raises a pectoral fin high in the air and seems to be waving at you, people on the boat always wave back.

Our local dolphins are usually in the company of these giants during the season.

We have always had a close relationship with dolphins, they have always been regarded as intelligent and have always shown an eagerness to communicate with us. Whales have always been a source of fascination for us as well, mainly because of their huge bulk and because we have only ever seen them in documentries and photos.

The east coast of Australia offers many places you can see whales, however most of those places are where the whales are in transit. Here in Hervey Bay they take time out to rest and frolick in the calm waters of Platypus Bay, it is here you can interact and come face to face with them.

In the days when whale oil was the worlds chief source of lighting and ladies corsets were lined with whale bone, it was then when we nearly lost this awesome creature. Hunted nearly to extinction Humback Whale numbers fell from 120,000 to todays approximate figure of 10,000.

Captain Cook upon entering Sydney Harbour for the first time recorded in his logbook that "there were whale spouts as far as the eye could see". Today the Humpback roams our oceans feeding on Krill which they strain through huge baleen plates in their mouths. These massive giants are up to 55 feet long and weigh as much as 36 tons, a size that can only be acheived by living in water. Their songs are the most complex in the animal kingdom and include songs that are unique to the individual whale. The Humpback is in danger even today as fish and Krill stocks decline world wide due to unsustainable fishing practices.