Whale spotted: Humpback spotted near Magnetic Island
Crew and passengers aboard a ferry heading toward Magnetic Island have been pleasantly surprised by a close encounter with a majestic humpback whale.
Townsville
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Crew and passengers aboard a ferry heading toward Magnetic Island have been pleasantly surprised by a close encounter with a majestic humpback whale.
SeaLink North Queensland general manager Chris Briggs said “a very friendly” adult whale rose at the front of the Nelly Bay harbour and gave the ferry a “wave”.
Mr Briggs said passengers aboard the ferries could expect to see more whales as they migrate north for the winter when they breed.
“Every (whale) season is slightly different. This is probably the same timing as 2018 whereas 2019 was about three weeks later,” he said.
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Humpback whales can weigh as much as 30 tonnes and measure up to 18m long. Their main diet is krill and small schooling fish.
Mr Briggs said SeaLink was looking at ways it could operate whale watching tours under the current COVID-19 restrictions.
He said there had been a “slow and steady” increase in the number of people visiting Magnetic Island and expected this week’s further easing of restrictions would result in more people heading over.
Originally published as Whale spotted: Humpback spotted near Magnetic Island