Moreton Bay a whale sanctuary

It’s been a bumper whale watching season in Moreton Bay, with big increases in the number of whales – young and old.

Brisbane Whale Watching’s Kerry Lopez says about 45,000 humpback whales have travelled through the bay during this year’s northern and southern migration. She was expecting about 40,000.

“It’s been even better than I expected. It’s been fabulous. There’s definitely been an increase in the population,” she says.

“They all looked really healthy, which is great. There were a couple we noticed had little bit of skin bacteria, but it was nothing of any concern. A lot had a lot of blubber on them.

“We’ve had 84 newborn calves this year. That’s a lot. That’s an increase on the increase of 10-12 per cent (we were expecting).”

Kerry says her vessel Eye Spy did not even have to leave Moreton Bay to find the whales.

“Ten minutes out (from Redcliffe) and you’re with a mother and calf. They’re nursing their babies in the bay and getting them strong enough to make their way to Antarctica,” she explains.

During the September school holidays Brisbane Whale Watching ran a competition for children to name calves they spotted, resulting in some creative suggestions.

One was named Bumper because it came in so close to the boat and another was named silver due to its silvery colour.

Nature lovers rejoice

The Eye Spy crew has welcomed guests from across Australian and the world, and of all abilities, including a large group with vision impairments.

“We’ve been bringing a lot more international visitors to the region. They’re from everywhere – Africa, UK, US, New Zealand, France, Spain, Germany and many other places,” Kerry says.

While whale watching is at the core of every cruise, guests have also had the chance to experience Moreton Bay at its best and enjoy an array of marine life.

“The bay is looking beautiful, the seagrass has come back,” Kerry says.

There is a dugong they’ve seen every day off the northern end of the Redcliffe Jetty every day, which has been named Dougie.

“Before we’ve even left Redcliffe, we’ve been doing commentary on dugongs,” she says.

She says there were too many highlights of the season to mention, but one day springs to mind when guests witnessed whales mating, with six whales chasing each other, and saw a mother and calf nearby.

Footage of the whole encounter was recorded using a drone camera.

The whale watching season will end on Sunday, October 27, but Eye Spy will continue to be docked at the end of the Redcliffe Jetty and used for corporate functions and charter cruises.

See the video

By Geoff Aquino