Humpback Whales

Whale watching

Humpback Whales migrate from the Antarctica to the Whitsundays to give birth to their young in the warm shallow and protected waters around the islands. They frequently breach and frolick with their young and are very inquisitive about boats, often approaching them to take a closer look.

You will no doubt encounter many whales if you charter a bareboat between July - September when they are most active and are a welcome hazard and a memorable experience.

Whitsunday whale protection area

The majority of the Whitsundays is a whale protection area and is shown as a grey dashed line on Zoning Map 10 - Whitsundays. Within the Whitsunday whale protection area, the safe distance approach for vessels is 300 metres. This is an important area for whales to breed and build up strength over the winter before they return to the Antarctic in summer. Outside the Whitsunday whale protection area, the safe distance approach for vessels is 100 metres.

It is your responsibility to adhere to the whale and dolphin watching regulations and legal requirements when you see humpback whales during your charter.