Whale Watching
Whale Watching, My Experience
Many years ago, I experienced whale watching for the first time in Hervey Bay, no I didn’t see Migaloo, but the whales were equally magnificent. I often tell the story of how I was completely overcome with emotion, think of the scene in the coffee shop in the movie, ‘When Harry met Sally’.
Yes, it was ‘that’ bad.
I’ve worried over the years about the other passenger’s video footage, which was no doubt ruined by my emotional outburst.
But seriously it truly was an amazing experience and one that I highly recommend.
There are many great tours being run right here on the Gold Coast which I’ll share with you shortly.
30 years of Migaloo
For whale lovers, the ultimate dream would be to experience a rare sighting of Migaloo, Australia’s most famous albino humpback whale.
If you don’t know the story of Migaloo, he is a magnificent all white whale, first spotted and photographed off the coast of Byron Bay in 1991 and was believed to be around three years old at the time, and also the only documented all-white humpback whale in the world.
After confirmation by researchers from the Pacific Whale Foundation in 1993 that this whale was indeed ‘all white’ there was an outcry for this special whale to be given a name.
The Naming of Migaloo
They decided that the naming of the whale should be done by the elders of the local aboriginal collective in Hervey Bay, who chose to name him “Migaloo” meaning “white fella”.
Whales were a totemic animal for many coastal Indigenous groups and the elders explained their reason for the name to the researchers from the Pacific Whale Foundation.
They explained their connection to all white or albino animals and that they appear on earth to be respected and revered; that their unique colour demonstrates the need to respect all forms of life even if they appear different than ‘normal’. They should be honoured with reverence and respect, not discrimination and shame.
The Humpback Whale
Migaloo is among thousands of humpback whales that feed in the waters of Antarctica during Antarctica’s summer months of November to May and migrate along the east coast of Australia, to breed in our warm tropical waters near the Great Barrier Reef during our winter from June to October and back again each year.
Migaloo would normally be expected to swim past the Gold Coast in late June and would normally pass by again on the way back in October, it’s estimated that he would now be around 40 tonnes and 15 metres in length.
Sad News of Migaloo
Sadly, the last sighting of Migaloo was in 2018/19 and there is much speculation that he may have died, but I like many are other fans and scientists are hoping he is swimming further out to sea away from the spotlight.
Migaloo is Protected
It’s important to know that if you should be lucky enough to encounter Migaloo he is protected under Queensland and Commonwealth Government legislation.
Migaloo and other humpback whales that are more than 90% white are described as “special management marine mammals” which gives them extra protection so vessels cannot approach within 500 metres and aircraft cannot approach within 610 metres. There is a hefty fine of $16,500 which helps to protect these magnificent creatures.
History of Whaling in Australia
We’ve certainly come a long way in Australia from our whaling days of the late 18th century, when whaling became Australia’s first major industry.
Why We Hunted Whales
Whale products such as blubber were melted down for more than just oil for lamps, it was also used for fuel, lubricants, candles and as a base for soaps and perfumes. The whalebone was also used for items such as whips, corsets, and umbrellas.
Unfortunately, many whale species were over-exploited and came very near to extinction.
Large scale commercial whaling became very efficient in the late 19th century with the development of steam driven whaling boats which had harpoon guns and explosive harpoons.
Whaling stations in Australia and New Zealand killed over 40,000 humpback whales on their migrations to the north of Australia.
Whale Decline
After recognition of a dramatic global decline in numbers, whaling ceased on humpback whales in 1963, and the humpbacks at least were protected worldwide by 1965.
Commercial whaling however continued in Australian waters and around the world on sperm and right whales.
A government inquiry into the whaling industry in 1978 resulted in a commitment to whale protection and finally a ban on whaling in Australia.
Humpback whales were one of the first species protected under the Endangered Species Conservation Act.
Australia an Anti-Whaling Nation
Australia is one of the strongest anti-whaling countries in the world, and as a consequence our whaling war rages on with Japan, Iceland and Norway who to this day hunt whales in their own waters.
Whale Watching on the Gold Coast
Whale watching has become a significant tourist industry around the world and for the moment whales are somewhat protected.
As I mentioned earlier there are plenty of whale watching tours available to choose from, the more well-known, larger and more commercial tours like Sea World Cruises and Spirit of the Gold Coast which have a good reputation.
But how about trying a smaller tour option like Getaway Sailing?
Getaway Sailing offers a private whale watching charter. They offer various sailing packages and cruises for every occasion including sailing lessons, but how would you fancy whale watching on your very own private skippered yacht?
Andreas the owner tells me:
We offer a much more personal experience for whale watching with our private charter business and we have much longer exposure to whales as we go out for 6 hours. Hence our customers have a much greater and more personal experience with the whales. It is not unusual that the whales approach our boat whilst under sail as there is not distracting engine noise.
Head here to find out more:
Website: https://getawaysailing.com.au
For the Complete Experience
Through my research however the company I most highly recommend is Cooly Eco Adventures, the brainchild of Lachlan Taylor a passionate and dedicated environmentalist.
Cooly Eco Adventures offer not only whale watching tours, they also offer the ultimate whale experience, swimming with the whales and coming face to face with these gentle giants of the sea. They also offer educational and research tours, snorkeling safaris where you can swim with turtles, and dolphin watching.
From his correspondence with me you can feel Lachlan’s passion for his business and his strong devotion to environmental sustainability, which forms an important element of his business.
With a love of the environment our goal is to stop further deterioration on of our planet and its oceans by educating and encouraging a shift in human behaviour toward a more symbiotic relationship with nature. A fundamental part of our everyday schedule is to ensure that this business helps provide opportunity for continued research and education, particularly around whales as they are not only beautiful animals, they’re an essential element to the well-being of our oceans and earth.
Where Lachlan started –
I have always had a great love for the ocean. Growing up in Queensland I spent my weekends and holidays on family and friends’ boats exploring Moreton Bay, the Gold Coast and The Great Barrier Reef. I knew from a young age I had to make my career being out on the water.
This passion took me to Tasmania to study at the Australian Maritime College before taking off and working all around the world on boats. However, it was my first swim with whales experience off Port Douglas in 2010 when working on a Minke Whale research tour vessel which really cemented my passion for whales and marine life. It was truly an amazing experience that will stay with me forever.
It was from this experience that the idea for Cooly Eco Adventures was first born. So, after gaining many more years’ experience working in the whale watching industry on the Gold Coast, I started my tour company in 2020. My goal is to deliver an unparalleled ocean experience for guests which is fun, informative and environmentally conscious.
Doing what I do and being where I get to be every day brings me so much joy. Just being out on the water and seeing these amazing creatures is incredibly thrilling, but seeing my guests faces after a morning or afternoon onboard with us, their huge smiles and looks of pure happiness, that’s where it’s really at. I love being able to show off this amazing coastal region. I have a platform to pass on knowledge to others; share my passion; promote and show incredible marine life to people and witness the profound affect it can have – that’s what gets me going in the morning.
Sounds amazing right? To find out more and book a tour, head over to
Website: https://coolyecoadventures.com.au/
There’s never been a better time to get involved.
If you are passionate about whales and their conservation, get involved with one of the many organisations doing great work, such as Sea Shepherd
Website: https://www.seashepherd.org.au/who-we-are/
Unfortunately, our federal government is considering removing the humpback whale from the list of threatened species, which would mean they would lose federal research and funding, so it’s important that we stay informed and make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.
In the meantime keep a look out for Migaloo!
And if you love whales you might enjoy my coming of age fiction novel called ‘Search for the Holy Whale’ read more here https://selenajane.com/book/search-for-the-holy-whale/
To learn more about my inspiration behind ‘Search for the Holy Whale’ go here
