Everyone knows about whale watching – but did you know the whales sometimes watch back? Sue Fuller offers an eyewitness account

Eyes the size of soccer balls are intent on getting a good look at the humans aboard That’s Awesome, the latest whale-watch boat in Hervey Bay on Queensland’s southern coast. For half an hour the pod of four humpbacks has been playfully ‘mugging’ our boat – their massive lungs expelling misty air that shoots out of their blow holes at more than 300km/h.

“Don’t breathe it in,” cautions our skipper John Riley, explaining the mist contains bacteria.

We collectively hold our breath – but more from the thrill of being so close to one of the world’s largest mammals (blue whales are the largest). The silence turns to cheers when one ‘spy hops’ – slowly rising up out of the water so we are face to face.

“They reach between 12 and 15m long and can weigh more than 40 tonnes,” says John, a fifth generation Hervey Bay local. “And yet their navigation skills are so precise they can literally swim within one centimetre of the boat and not touch it before pulling under the boat and coming up the other side.”

That’s Awesome is aptly named – the red and white rigid inflatable cruises at up to 80km/h and takes a maximum 36 passengers. At just over 4m wide, passengers can move easily from side to side for the closest views of the pod playing around the boat.

The vessel is owned by Brian and Jill Perry, who in 1987 were among the first to begin whale-watching trips in Australia with the Hervey Bay Whale Watch company. Brian, a pilot, borrowed a friend’s plane to spot whales from the air in and dropped toilet rolls to signal to the boat which way to head.

John explains that the whales leave the frigid waters around Antarctica in March on their annual migration north. Some travel along Australia’s east coast, some the west coast – and are easily identifiable by the markings on the inside of their tails, the whale equivalent of fingerprints.

Hervey Bay has a reputation as Australia’s whale-watch capital because the whales come to rest in the warm waters of Platypus Bay while on the return journey to the Antarctic between July and November. The mothers feed their babies around 600 litres of milk per day, which adds a staggering 60kg to their weight. Some whales stay a few hours in the bay, some a few days, and one liked it so much she stayed for six weeks.

Thankfully, only 200 of the current whale population would remember whaling, according to John. Whaling operations ceased on Tangalooma, Moreton Island in 1969 and four years later at Eden, on the NSW/Victoria border. Since then the population has been slowly building to the current estimated 7000 that migrate each year.

After a speedy trip back to Urangan Marina, we headed to our accommodation at Peppers Pier Resort. With its five-star location overlooking the calm bay and elegant white wave-like architecture, the resort is the most obvious sign of the upmarket sea change underway in Hervey Bay.

There are 132 self-contained one, two and three-bedroom suites, most overlooking the Great Sandy Strait and Fraser Island. Our two-bedroom suite is massive – with a separate living and dining room, spa bath and wrap-around balcony. The emphasis is on relaxation, from the natural décor of stone floors and timber furnishings to the plasma TVs in the lounge and bedrooms.

Even with the natural beauty of the bay and Fraser Island on our doorstep, it’s tempting to hang around the resort. Facilities include a sandy lagoon pool for the children, plus two more separate pools, one of which is a 25m lap pool. There’s also the Spa Botanica, a health club and two restaurants – the fine dining Bayswater and more casual Salt Café. Suites start at $255 per night (one bedroom suite for two people). 

The whale-watching season lasts from mid July to early November, with September and October the best time to see mothers and calves in Platypus Bay.

For a full list of whale watching operators visit Whales Hervey Bay or Fraser Coast Holidays. 

That’s Awesome operates three three-hour trips daily, departing at 7am, 10:30am and 2:30pm. Cost is $100 per person. See Hervey Bay Whale Watch for more information.

Open Road e-zine October 2008

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