‘Rare’ whale and calf sighting just metres from tinny off shore in Tangalooma

A humpback whale mum and calf gave two Queensland boaties the fright of their life, popping up just metres from their tinny.

Two unexpected visitors made waves just off Moreton Island this weekend, with a humpback whale mother and her calf coming incredibly close to bystanders in a “rare” appearance.

Stunning images of the two whales appearing just metres from a tinny in the bay at Tangalooma were snapped by longtime diver David Rosenblum, of Brisbane’s Morningside, on Saturday morning.

“I was out on the boat and all of a sudden the mum and calf were basically next to us,” he said.

“They do come into the bay occasionally, but it’s rare.”

A Humpback Whale mother and calf came up by the Tangalooma wrecks. Photo – David Rosenblum

Despite over 55 years’ experience scuba diving, including plenty of times swimming alongside whales, Mr Rosenblum said he was still as surprised as ever to see the mammals so close.

“I’ve never seen them like that before. I’m on the water quite a bit, but I’ve never seen something like that before,” he said.

He said the pair appeared calm as they explored the boats in the area before coming extremely close to a small tinnie that had two people on board.

“I think they’re still paying off the laundry bill,” he said.

“They weren’t following the whale or anything, it just all of a sudden appeared very close to their boat.”

While it’s a rare sight, it’s not unusual for this time of year with mid-September to October being prime time to spot a whale mother and her calf.

“You just never get sick of seeing them, they’re just such beautiful animals,” Mr Rosenblum said.