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Humpback whale rising out of the water off Queensland
14 GUIDES · FREE TO READ

The whale knowledge hub

Everything we've learned about humpback whales and the craft of watching them, from crew who are out there every day of the season.

Biology & behaviour
6 guides
Migration & season
3 guides
Conservation & law
2 guides
Watching know-how
4 guides
Humpback whale close to the surface beside the boat
START HERE

Humpback whale facts

Size, anatomy, song, bubble-net feeding, calves and the threats they still face — the foundation guide everything else builds on.

Read the guide →

Biology & behaviour

What a humpback is, how it lives and what every move at the surface means.

Humpback whale behaviour
Breaching, pec slapping, lobtailing, spy-hopping, logging and mugging — decoded.
Humpback whale song
Units, phrases and themes — and how Australian song spreads across the Pacific.
Humpback whale diet
Krill, baleen filter feeding, bubble nets and a fasting season off Queensland.
Humpback whale habitat
Two homes ten thousand kilometres apart, and why the reef matters to both.
Humpback whale predators
Orca, sharks, rake marks and how mothers and escorts defend a calf.
Humpback whale facts
The foundation guide: size, anatomy, calves and everything in between.

Migration & season

Where they come from, how many there are, and when they pass Bundaberg.

Humpback whale migration
A 10,000 km round trip, and why the southbound leg is the good one.
Humpback whale population
From a few hundred animals to tens of thousands — a recovery story.
Best time to go
Month-by-month guide to the Queensland whale watching season.

Conservation & law

Where the species stands today, and the rules that protect it in Australian waters.

Are humpback whales endangered?
Conservation status, the whaling legacy and the four threats that remain.
Can you swim with humpback whales?
Approach distances, where permits exist, and why we watch instead.

Watching know-how

The practical craft: spotting, identifying, photographing and understanding what you're seeing.

How to spot whales
Blows, footprints, bird activity and where to stand on deck.
Whale species of Queensland
Humpbacks, dwarf minke, southern rights, orca and the dolphins between.
Whale photography tips
Settings, lens choice, phone technique and shooting from a moving deck.
Whale watching glossary
Twenty-three terms you'll hear over the PA, in plain English.

Reading about them is the warm-up

Watching a 40-tonne animal lift its whole body out of the water twenty metres from you is the event itself. Our crew turn every sighting into the lesson these guides are written from.

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Humpback whale mother and calf swimming underwater
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ACCREDITED & AWARD WINNING
Accredited Tourism Business Australia
Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef
Eco Certified Advanced Ecotourism
TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2017
TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2018
Humpback whale breaching on the Southern Great Barrier Reef
DEPARTING BUNDABERG · JUNE TO OCTOBER

Come and meet the humpbacks

Live availability, instant confirmation, and a crew who have spent their lives on this stretch of reef.