Tangalooma: Moreton Island’s whale, dolphin and wildlife resort

Spot whales and dolphins in a Queensland marine wonderland.

Whale watching off Tangalooma Island Resort, Moreton Island, Queensland.

Tinkerbell darts through the shallow water, a flash of sleek grey expertly seeking the tiny silver fish I’ve lowered for her. She knows the drill better than I do and is unfazed by the muted buzz of the crowd waiting behind me. It’s all over in half a minute and she moves away until the next guest takes my place.

Feeding a pod of wild bottlenose dolphins has been a nightly ritual on the beach in front of Moreton Island’s Tangalooma Island Resort for more than 20 years and it’s one of the wildlife experiences that keeps visitors coming. Tinkerbell is the offspring of the “original” dolphin, Beauty, who started visiting the resort jetty regularly in the 1980s and learning to trust resort owner Betty Osborne and eventually her guests.

These days, the pod of about 10 turns up most nights, although of course Mother Nature gives no guarantees. One of the pod, Karma, visited for several years before turning his back on the deal (he’s still sighted around the bay, but doesn’t respond to the lure of the spotlight or the hand-outs).

Feeding is well controlled to ensure the welfare of the dolphins and while it’s a big attraction there are plenty of other things to do before dusk and the arrival of the dolphins. Wildlife watching is a given on Moreton Island, a 75-minute catamaran ride from Brisbane to Tangalooma jetty. From June until mid-October each year, as humpback whales pass by on their migratory path to Antarctica, half-day spotting cruises operate from the resort and there are plenty of birds and marine animals to observe.

Whale-watching is a trifle bittersweet here. Guests daily walk past a huge concrete structure — now a basketball court — that was the flensing deck in the bad old days when Tangalooma was a whaling station. Over 10 years in the 1950s and early 1960s, more than 6200 whales were killed and processed here.

But aboard the sleek white cruise vessel there’s nothing but joy as about a dozen whales, including a few calves, come close for a look at us. They spy-hop, slap their tails and pectoral fins, dive and splash and we lap it up, cameras snapping and smiles widening. We’re also delighted when a couple of humpbacks are joined by about 15 dolphins. Last year 991 whales were sighted by the Tangalooma cruise boats, which are roomy enough to ensure everyone gets a vantage point. Built for up to 300 passengers, only 158 places are available on each cruise.

For me, there’s another highlight — my first glimpse of that more elusive marine mammal, the dugong, which feeds on the rich sea grass beds in this part of Moreton Bay. It rises to the surface, huffing a breath before disappearing like a grey shadow.

Another day, a smaller boat takes guests to the rusting shipwrecks that create an artificial reef just off the beach. Some hardy souls are braving the cold water to snorkel, but we’re content to feed the fish, turtle-spot and watch the cormorants and pelicans sunning themselves.

Getting out on the water offers the chance to see Moreton Island — the world’s third largest sand island, after Fraser and North Stradbroke — from a different perspective. At the northern end the convict-built sandstone lighthouse has stood sentinel at Cape Moreton since 1857.

Heading inland, tours visit towering sand dunes; a hike up a 38m dune and a slide down, clinging to a piece of plyboard is exhilarating for all ages. It’s just one of an almost bewildering array of activities on offer (many are complimentary), including bushwalks, quad bike and Segway tours, parasailing, scuba diving, stand-up paddle-boarding, kayaking and helicopter flights.

At the end of the day Tangalooma offers some fine choices for dining. While the resort is undergoing a redevelopment that will see a new restaurant and bar open before the end of the year, the fusion-style Fire & Stone already provides authentic Sichuan cuisine, which is so good it’s alone worth a trip to the island.

The best accommodation at Tangalooma Island Resort is Deep Blue, the luxury apartment complex close to the jetty and restaurants, and with its own private pool. Each apartment features a large balcony with views across the bay to the Glasshouse Mountains and Brisbane city shimmering in the distance.

These are great vantage points for sunsets and also overlook the dolphin feeding area. With luck you might also spot the humpbacks heading south.

Lee Mylne was a guest of Tangalooma Island Resort.

• tangalooma.com

• visitmoretonisland.com