New marine experience offers chance to swim with Humpback Whales

Visitors to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast can get up close to migrating Humpback Whales with Australia’s first swimming with whales experience.

Sunshine Coast dive operator Sunreef Mooloolaba has launched what is an an Australian first, giving divers the opportunity to see Humpback Whales from a very different perspective.

Tapping in to Australia’s fascination with whales that migrate up and down the East Coast during winter, Sunreef Whale Encounter Supervisor Dan Hart explains that swimming with the whales “is a life changing experience – to have a humpback whale just a couple of metres away looking you right in the eye. It’s indescribable.

“It gives you such a sense of these amazing creatures and we are excited to be able to offer it to everyone.”

The swimming with whales experience is operated under a strict Code of Conduct to protect both the whales and participants.

Participants who take part in a swim with the humpback whales experience can expect a three-hour round trip with a maximum of 20 participants taken on each trip. Sunreef provides a full briefing on what to expect and safety procedures as well as providing all required wetsuit and snorkeling equipment.

Once a whale is sighted, the boat will be put into neutral 100 metres or more away from the whale, and if the conditions are determined as safe, swimmers will be allowed into the water holding on to the floating line attached to the boat.

Hart adds “then it’s all up to the whale – it is a natural experience and it is 100% on the whale’s own terms.

“Whales are known as curious creatures so they may come over towards us or they may just swim past or away. Either way it’s an experience you will never forget.”

“In our experience, the whales seem as intrigued by us as we are of them and often come close to swimmers, gliding effortlessly around us, with such a gentleness that its like they recognise our fragility in comparison and know we are there out of wonder and respect."

The Swim with the Whales experience will run from 6th July and will continue throughout the whale watching season.

Sunreef have access to a spotter plane to increase the likelihood of participants whale encounter. However, if the boat does not see a whale during a tour, guests will be offered the opportunity to rebook at a 50% discount.

Sunreef is a PADI 5 Star Training Centre and offers accredited dive courses for all levels of divers as well as local reef dives in the Sunshine Coast region including the ex-HMAS Brisbane and offers international dive trips and travel as well as dive equipment sales and servicing.

For more information call 07 5444 5656 or visit www.sunreef.com.au 

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