Photo Gallery of Whale Watching, Hervey Bay, by Pelican Waters Resident.
Whale watching takes place in Hervey Bay from July to November when the humpback whales are on their migration route from the Antarctic.
They may approach a vessel with incredible gentleness, just to check humans out, sometimes staying up to an hour.
Humpback whales migrate between their feeding grounds of Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef, where they mate and breed.
On their return journey they enter Hervey Bay and spend between 3 and 5 days resting or feeding their new born calves, safe from pack-shark attack and Killer Whales, before commencing the 5000 km trek down south.
The reason for this migration is simple: while their food supply (krill) is in Antarctica, Humpback whales must give birth in warm waters, as the calves are born without blubber, the layer of fat that protects them from the icy waters.
When feeding, a female whale can produce up to 600 litres of milk a day and the calf gains weight at a rate of 45 to 60 kg per day.
Whale watching in Hervey Bay is unique, the waters are protected by Fraser Island, the largest sand Island in the world and with clear sunny days with an average temperature of 22 degrees.
Humpback whales do not feed whilst on migration (5 months) , but when they do they consume up to 1,500 kg of krill each day , that they can sing without vocal cords and a recording of their song is on board Voyager II, now on a billion year journey to outer space.
But the marine park of Hervey Bay offers more. Together with the Humpbacks arrive hundreds of Bottlenose dolphins, busily leaping in all directions or riding on the bow wave of charter vessels. There are large turtles dugongs and even an occasional
Minke whale.
Weather
Hervey Bay has a wonderful subtropical climate, with low rainfall
Summer
September - February |
Average Temperature 22 C - 29 C |
Winter
March - August |
Average Temperature 14 C - 23 C |
Travel from Pelican Waters
By Car |
The journey takes 3 hours by car from Pelican Waters, on the Bruce Highway |
By Air |
Qantas fly from Brisbane, journey time is 45 minutes |
Where to Stay
There are many Resorts, Hotels, to suit any budget, a recommended stay is at the Peppers Pier Resort ( images below ).
What to do
Whale Watching is why most people go to Hervey Bay, there also fantastic beaches.
Plus Fraser Island has many activities.
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