Keen wildlife enthusiasts have been having a whale of a time in the region with an early humpback season making a splash in Bundaberg waters.
Local photographer Jimmy Scaboo has created a Facebook page called WideBay Whale Watchers for avid humpback spotters to record their sightings.
He said there had been plenty of action along the coast recently and he had been lucky enough to get a glimpse of some humpbacks earlier this week.
“My first whale spotting was early Monday morning at Turtle Cove,” Jimmy said.
“Nev Swann, a fellow member of the WideBay Whale Watchers Facebook group, gave me the heads up call around 8am.
“Then in the late afternoon at Christsen Park, Bargara I spotted the second pod.
“Both were quite active with breaches and head lunges.”
With whale watching season usually kicking off in July, Jimmy said the early start had provided the perfect opportunity for some land viewing before boat tours began.
“The season sure has started earlier this year as it’s almost a month before the whale watching boats start to head out,” he said.
“We will no doubt see more in that time from the local spots and that is why I started the Facebook group.
“It’s filled with early advice of sightings so people can share their viewings.”
Jimmy said spotting a humpback along the coast all came down to a bit of luck and knowing where to look.
He said there were a couple of top whale watching spots around the region that provided the perfect vantage point.
“You just have to be in the right spot at the right time,” he said.
“We usually start from Turtle Cove and Bargara Headlands but I always check other good spots on the way there.”
Jimmy said nothing beat the thrill of seeing the majestic creatures playing in the ocean.
“It’s a true rush when, after the patient scanning of the water, the tell-tale spout or splash of a whale is sighted. That’s when the adrenaline kicks in,” he said.
“You can follow them from each vantage point along their path towards Hervey Bay or North towards the top of Fraser Island.”
Bundaberg’s Lady Musgrave Experience whale watching tours begin next month with seasonal passes now available for purchase.
The tours provide an opportunity to get up close to humpback whales as they undertake one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom, all the way from Antarctica to the tropics.
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