Tangalooma Island Resort’s 2019 whale watching season is expected to be its biggest and best yet, with a 10 per cent increase in calves anticipated to enter the waters of Moreton Bay before the end of October.

A record 36,000 humpback whales will travel all the way from Antarctica to navigate Queensland’s warmer coastline. Here some of the whales will give birth to their calves before settling in the shallow lagoons around Moreton Island for a pit stop during their return voyage to the Southern Ocean.

Eco Centre and Dolphin Care Manager Susan Hassard says Tangalooma’s location has its advantages during the five-month migration, giving Brisbane residents and visitors a unique opportunity to witness the ocean giants and their calves as they put on a spectacular acrobatic display in the Bay.

“We have the longest continual whale watching season in Queensland because of our fantastic location and it means visitors get to see these ocean giants in ways never thought possible,” Ms Hassard said.

“The waters around Moreton Island offer a warm sanctuary for pregnant whales and mother / calf pairs to rest and play on their long trip. Last year alone over 60 newborn calves were observed from our Tangalooma whale watching cruises, so we’re expecting this number to increase by five to 10 per cent in 2019!”

Not only is Tangalooma Queensland’s largest and longest running whale watching operator, the Resort has become Brisbane’s wildest and best day out for locals and visitors. It is the only place in the world where visitors can spot whales by day and hand feed wild dolphins by night.

Visitors also have the opportunity to experience over eight unique animal encounters and island-based activities in a single day.

Ms Hassard says observers are very likely to see unique interactions between native dolphins and the visiting whales on every visit.

“When we come across pods of Bottlenose and Common dolphins, we often see these marine mammals interacting together on whale watches as they are part of the same group, Cetaceans. Both have a gentle and familial side, which always comes across when they breach so close to the vessel.

“The beauty of Tangalooma is that it is the only place you can see whales surface so close to shore as well as hand feed wild dolphins at dusk on the same day.”
With over 100 years’ combined whale watching experience, the Resort’s Eco Centre is directed by a team of trained Eco Rangers who provide leading marine education and conservation talks and tours. These ongoing marine programs are Silver-Accredited certified by Earthcheck, the world’s leading environmental certification and benchmarking program for travel and tourism.

Tangalooma Island Resort’s whale watching tours will be held aboard Australia’s largest dedicated whale watching vessel, the Tangalooma Jet. Each tour on the 40-metre high speed catamaran will provide 180 guests with an incredible 360-degree view of every splash, exhale and wave from the ocean giants. And with Tangalooma once again partnering with the Kids’ Cancer Project by donating $5 for every whale sighted during the 2019 season, all eyes will be peeled for numerous sightings each day!

Eager whale spotters are now able to enjoy Brisbane’s best day out on a once-in-a-life-time day trip combining whale watching and dolphin feeding from $199 per adult and $149 per child.* Standalone whale watching day trip packages are also available from $129 per adult and $89 per child*.

In addition to these incredible marine mammals, Tangalooma also hosts an array of wild residents including pelicans, kookaburras, bandicoots, possums, sugar gliders, turtles, and hundreds of species of tropical fish. Once the animal encounters are over, Tangalooma hosts over 15 adrenaline-fuelling adventures across land and sea that guests can enjoy; including quad biking, sand tobogganing, snorkelling the Tangalooma Wrecks, kayaking and more. For those interested in extending their visit and experiencing all the resort has to offer, there are a variety of overnight stay packages available.

For more information or to book, click Here!