Snorkeller’s heart-pounding encounter with curious humpback at Keeper Reef

A lucky snorkeller has captured the incredible moment he almost collided with a curious baby humpback whale while diving near Townsville. WATCH THE VIDEO

A LUCKY snorkeller has captured the incredible moment he almost collided with a curious baby humpback whale while diving near Townsville.

Dave Stewart was snorkelling at Keeper Reef when he was caught off guard by an inquisitive six-meter humpback calf while he was looking at the reef on Friday.

The veteran diver caught the heart-stopping encounter with his underwater camera.

“I was just looking at the coral gardens, and the whale came right up to me,” he said.

“We were swimming eye-to-eye for about two minutes before it left.

Dave Stewart got close and personal with a humpback whale at Keeper Reef on Friday. Source: Townsville Whale Watching

“Couldn’t be more than one or two years old. The young ones tend to be a bit more curious.

“I’ve been on the Great Barrier Reef for some 30 years, and for me as a personal encounter, this was certainly way up there.”

Mr Stewart, who runs Townsville Whale Watching, said the calf was one of three whales they’d seen nearby in recent days with sightings at Wheeler Reef and Little Broadhurst Reef.

“It’s only June, so they’re here a bit early in the season,” he said.

“This is the first time I’ve swam with a whale here, but we’re seeing their numbers increase each year.”

Originally published as Snorkeller’s heart-pounding encounter with curious humpback at Keeper Reef