Whale season is upon us

IT'S now whale season and some spectacular shots are starting to arise on social media

A whale breaches the surface with Mt Warning in the background. Picture: Dave Jaeger

IT'S now whale season and some spectacular shots are starting to arise on social media from those lucky enough to capture a glimpse of the majestic animals as they migrate north.

One of those people is Dave Jaeger, who owns the family-run business Tweed Gold Coast Dive Charters.

Mr Jaeger said the amount of whales in the water at the moment was "insane”, with some breaching the water so far they left his small boat drenched in water.

Using just the Bureau of Meteorology and his own eyesight to determine when the best days were to go out, Mr Jaeger said using a smaller boat gave a more personal experience.

"With us it's all weather dependant, we choose only the best days to go out as we only want people to have the best experiences,” he said.

"We're probably the minority, I'd rather do half the trips others do and keep the customers happy.

"We're just a small family business and the money that comes from these tours goes to feeding the kids and sending them to school.

"With a smaller boat it's a more personal experience and with some of the customers you can see you've changed their lives with an animal that size being so close to the boat, we get a real buzz out of them getting a buzz, so it's not a bad job.”

Mr Jaeger said over the years he had experienced many special encounters, including a time when he spotted the famous white whale Migaloo.

"It's a good job,” he said.

"I always say if I won lotto I wouldn't retire, I'd just buy a bigger boat.”

For tour details phone [phone] or visit www. tweedgoldcoastdivecharters. com.