Beautiful Moreton Bay: One Of The Best Places To See Whales In Australia

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With its generally calm, clear waters, Queensland’s Moreton Bay is one of the best places to see whales in Australia. Friends of ours who live in Redcliffe, where the Brisbane Whale Watching cruises depart from, do this cruise every year. Having just had the privilege of doing a Brisbane Whale Watching cruise, I can understand their enthusiasm.

On a glorious winter’s day, when the temperature was positively balmy and the water as calm as a millpond, I had the privilege of sailing on MV Eye Spy with Brisbane Whale Watching’s owner/skipper, Captain Kerry Lopez, at the helm. This super-comfy vessel departs from Redcliffe Jetty at 10am seven days a week from June until early November, when migrating humpback whales are active in Moreton Bay waters.

As winter sets in, thousands of humpback whales make their way up Australia’s east coast in search of warmer waters in which to give birth. Since commercial whaling ended in Australia in the late 1970s, whale numbers have increased enormously. It’s thought that around 40,000 whales now migrate north before returning south with their babies. In July/August, you might even see the north and south migrations crossing paths.

The Brisbane Whale Watching cruise is an easy day out, with Redcliffe being within easy reach of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and hinterland. The cruise includes a boxed lunch and returns around 2-2.30pm with a boat-load of happy passengers, thrilled with the display of nature’s spectacle that they’ve just witnessed.

Moreton Bay is known to offer some of the best whale-watching in Australia. On the day I cruised, the boat didn’t even have to sail around Moreton Island to the ocean – it hovered in the bay where whales were frolicking aplenty.

The warm, crystal-clear waters are a preferred breeding ground for mothers giving birth. They stay for days to bond with their babies, feed and play. Intelligent and naturally curious mammals, the whales greet their visitors and play around in the most adorable way, breaching, blowing, tail- and pectoral-slapping, often only metres away from the boat.

MV Eye Spy is a well-appointed catamaran, purpose-built for whale-watching. Its specially designed propellers minimise underwater noise while its electronically controlled engines reduce exhaust emissions, hence reducing the impact on the marine environment.

The main deck offers a choice of window seating and standard seating. On the deck above, the VIP Captain’s Lounge has four seats to every table, and large windows for ease of viewing. Guests are given a picnic lunchbox that includes slices of chicken breast and ham, salads, bread roll, cheese and fresh fruit. Drinks are available for purchase (the vessel is fully licensed).

The cabins on both decks are air-conditioned. While it was lovely to have a cool, shady space to retreat to, I found I wanted to spend most of the time on the outside viewing decks while the boat was idling near Moreton Island. I knew that the minute I turned my back on them, the whales would be doing something amazing.

Moreton Bay Marine National Park is home to abundant marine life including bottlenose dolphins, loggerhead turtles and dugongs. I was hoping I might see a dugong but no such luck. They are generally found in seagrass and we didn’t get that close to shore.

Captain Kerry is thought to be the only female captain who owns and skippers a whale-watching enterprise in the South Pacific. She’s clearly a dynamo yet she has a quiet, assured manner and provides a wonderful commentary that is very easy on the ears. It’s obvious that she is passionate about whales and keen to share her love for them. She has been looking out for whales for nearly 30 years and says she never tires of it. Her crew are a friendly, happy bunch too (and why wouldn’t they be, working in this stunning playground?)

Brisbane Whale Watching guests can choose from various packages, and season passes are available. Captain Kerry is totally confident you’ll see whales, but if you don’t she’ll book you for free on a subsequent cruise.

If you go:

Brisbane Whale Watching
Departs Redcliffe Jetty 7 days a week June to November
Tel: +61 (0)7 3880 0477
www.brisbanewhalewatching.com.au

Transfers are available from Brisbane CBD, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast accommodation.
The cruise is wheelchair friendly.

Food Wine Travel was a guest of Visit Moreton Bay and Brisbane Whale Watching. We stayed at Oaks Redcliffe Mon Komo Suites, which is a 10-minute walk from Redcliffe Jetty where the whale-watching cruise departs from.