Fin-tastic school holiday fun on Moreton Bay

Families can create magical memories on a trip with Brisbane Whale Watching during the school holidays with special packages.

Captain Kerry Lopez says whale watching season’s off to a spectacular start with dozens of the giants of the sea to see every day.

“The season’s been really lovely so far – we’ve been getting in close to the beach with the pristine sand and the whales breaching in the foreground, which makes for stunning photos,” she says.

“We’re seeing between 20 and 30 whales each day – a lot of them come right up to the boat.

“The babies are just so cute. Yesterday we had one come right up and smile at us and its mum was there too – she was huge.”

Marine life galore

As well as a multitude of majestic whales, passengers have been treated to turtle sightings and the playful antics of dolphins.

“Because there’s been so many whales in so close, we’ve been able to incorporate watching turtles too,” Captain Kerry says.

“We go right in to the shallow water and there’s so many turtles to see. It’s good to see the turtles and the seagrass coming back.”

During the off-season, two MTU engines and two new generators were fitted to Brisbane’s only purpose-built whale watching vessel, MV Eye-Spy.

Captain Kerry says they’re more environmentally friendly, using less fuel, which means less exhaust emissions, and they’re much quieter for the whales and passengers.

“The whales have really responded – they can still hear my voice and they’ve been trying to get into the boat,” she laughs.

“It’s been really beneficial because our whales have such sensitive hearing.”

See the video

Captain Kerry says the crew on board MV Eye Spy incorporates fun facts about marine life into each journey, and children have the chance to name baby whales.

“We do competitions with the kids to name the babies when they come through and they have a specific marking on them so we can spot them again next year.

“They come up with all different names, like Spot and Jumper – the kids are so cute when they see the whales – they just love it.”

Each cruise includes a gourmet picnic lunch and guests can choose between a VIP area with upper-class service, or premium and standard seats.

The special school holiday Whale Watching Adventure package is for two adults and two children, one of whom travels free.

Find out more and book your cruise here.