What lies beneath on a swim-with-whales tour in Jervis Bay
Guests on a NSW south coast tour have a close encounter of the cetaceous kind.
We’re bobbing around in the swell off the rugged sandstone cliffs of NSW’s south coast when someone in our group cries out, “They’re underneath!” I lower my snorkel mask into the ocean then recoil in shock as my eyes focus on the dark mass gliding through the clear blue water, about 10m below us.
Even though we’re on a “swimming with whales” tour, I’d never envisaged I’d end up swimming directly above one, its body so close that I can distinguish the rough barnacles encrusted on its skin.
I’d like to say I’m calm and collected, like one of my companions who begins filming the encounter on her underwater camera, but I’m not. Ridiculously, I try to lift my body above the water surface, sucking my stomach up in a futile attempt to create more distance between me and the humpback. My heart is pounding, myriad thoughts flash through my head. What if it suddenly rises and collides with us; what if it flicks its tail and smashes us?
As the seconds pass and it becomes clear the whale is merely casting a curious eye over our little posse on its swim north to warmer waters, my breathing steadies and I watch it slip into the darkness beyond.
The meeting is over in less than a minute, but the sense of elation we share as we head back to the dive boat feels life-changing. Guide Jeff jubilantly helps us back on board, taking our flippers as we haul wetsuited bodies up the ladder.
“That was perfect – the whales came to us,” he beams, clearly pleased he has fulfilled his whale-whisperer role for the day.
Our humpback meeting is the textbook experience that Jeff described to us less than three hours earlier at the Dive Jervis Bay offices in the charming coastal village of Huskisson, about 200km south of Sydney. There’s a sense of anticipation in our group of eight as we listen to his briefing. The opportunity to swim with whales on Sydney’s doorstep is not only exciting, it’s relatively new: Dive Jervis Bay launched its tours in 2019 and is one of only two operators in NSW licensed to offer the experience.
Once home to a whaling station, Jervis Bay is now a marine park and an ideal base for viewing the distinctive humpbacks, whose east coast population has grown from only a few hundred in 1963, when whaling was finally banned in the southern hemisphere, to more than 25,000.
From June to August each year, the cetaceans swim by the bay’s dramatic sandstone headlands on their journey north along the “humpback highway” to breed and calf in warm waters off Queensland. From September to November, the whales and their newborn calves return to Antarctica along the same route, sometimes taking a break in the sheltered waters of the bay.
Swimming with whales comes with strict rules. Operators must avoid animals that are breaching or with calves, and must not position their boat in the whales’ path. Instead, when whales are spotted, the vessel moves well ahead and drops its snorkellers off to the side, so they can cluster in a group that hopefully will attract the whales’ curiosity.
“It’s an opportunity to be close and intimate with the whales in a manner that’s respectful to them and keeps us as safe as possible,” Jeff tells us. “Once we’re in the water, we’ll stay tight and let the whales make the decision – they call the shots.”
While there are no guarantees you’ll meet a whale on a trip, Dive Jervis Bay says about half its boats have an in-water interaction with humpbacks and 97 per cent of people see the creatures from the boats.
In our case, we’re not long in the open sea outside Jervis Bay when Jeff and skipper Chris spot some whales and begin plotting our first swim. We all call excitedly when we see a spout of water rise in the distance, followed by a flash of dark shiny skin. Although we’re quickly in the water, the whales are faster still, disappearing from sight.
While our foray is unsuccessful, we’re only on the boat momentarily before the backs of two whales break the surface nearby. Jeff hurries us into the water for what becomes our memorable encounter, the two whales swimming beneath us – the larger one staying below the 9m-long humpback we can clearly see – before leaving us in their slick.
Our trip has already been a striking success, but Jeff is a consummate crowd-pleaser and keen to show more of the beautiful region where he grew up. After a warm cup of tea in a sheltered cove, we’re back in the water swimming with a bob of seals, which zip around us enthusiastically. As we return to Jervis Bay beside the sandstone cliffs, the boat diverts into a magnificent sea cave, its cantilevered roof soaring above us.
After such a high-adrenaline morning, it’s time to drop back a few gears and in the afternoon we step aboard the luxurious 12.5m catamaran Pleiades for a languid tour of the bay.
Owned by Jervis Bay Sailing Charters operators Alan and Cindy Nebauer, Pleiades is an immaculate yacht. Its generous white deck, spacious latte-toned lounge, smart galley and gleaming barbecue make it ideal for couples or small groups wanting to explore the area in style.
Alan says a typical summer’s day will see them catch a nor’easter to Long Beach and anchor over white sands, allowing guests to hop straight into crystal waters for a swim and snorkel. But it doesn’t matter what direction the wind blows; there are sublime beaches and clear waters everywhere on the bay, the postcard-perfect vista often enhanced by the sight of frolicking dolphins.
While Alan’s sailing prowess spans 40 years and includes a solo yacht race around the world, for the past 20 years he’s been based in Jervis Bay, which he hails as the best waterway on Australia’s east coast. “I love sailing back in here – it’s so pristine,” he declares.
After our ocean adventures, we’re lulled to sleep by the sound of waves that night at the comfortable Worrowing Villas of Huskisson. Nestled on the edge of town across the road from the bay, the villas’ gleaming white weatherboard and golden sandstone exteriors are a stylish addition to Huskisson’s landscape. The villas feature a chic coastal decor of soft linens, jute rugs and rugged timber furniture, peppered with nautical decorations and curios such as an old navigational light that rests on our living room sideboard.
While the villas have full kitchens, it’s only a short walk to the town centre and popular restaurants such as The Quarters, which incorporates local goodies such as Jervis Bay mussels into its menu, and Wildginger, offering Southeast Asian cuisine.
In the morning, I head to bustling Salty Joe’s on the main street to pick up a coffee, then stroll to the town’s wharf to watch the rolling waves whipped up by the weather, wondering where our curious whales are now.
In the know
Huskisson is a 2½ hour drive south of Sydney. Dive Jervis Bay’s Swimming with Whales and Seals tour costs $199 a person and is offered from June to early August, then September to early November. Private charters on Jervis Bay Sailing Charters catamaran start from $1800 for a half-day. Accommodation at Worrowing Villas of Huskisson is from $300 a night, twin-share, with the option to add on two more guests.
jervisbaysailingcharters.com.au
Libby Moffet was a guest of Shoalhaven Tourism.
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