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Whale Watching Tours Cairns – Swim With Whales

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Sophie Tabouel

Every year around the beginning of June, the Great Barrier Reef tour boat skippers start acting a little strange.

They become a little twitchy, a little jumpy. They are extra alert, their eyes a little wild as they scan every inch of the oceans horizon.

There is something they are searching for, something they have been waiting 10 months to arrive. They are searching for a sign.

And it is finally here!

The Dwarf Minke Whales & the mighty Humpback Whales

The Dwarf Minke whales and the Humpback whales visit the Great Barrier Reef every year during Cairns winter months, bringing with them their comedic antics and curious natures.

The boat crews love this time of year because it gives their passengers an experience that cannot be found anywhere else; they get to swim with the Minke whales.

That is exactly the rare experience visitors got to enjoy when the first Dwarf Minke whales for the season appeared recently at Castle Rock, located on the Agincourt Ribbon Reef from Port Douglas.

Lucky snorkelers aboard Silversonic were supplied with a guide rope in the water to hold onto (10 persons at a time), and though they are not legally allowed to approach the whales, the curiosity nearly always gets the better of the Dwarf Minke Whales and they swim over to investigate these strange limbed land dwellers invading their waters.

These gentle whales normally hang around the boats really enjoying the human interaction and they begin to show off and do spy hopping, tail slapping and breaching in front of their captured audience.

They swim up so close to the people and look you right in the eye as is to try and see into your mind to understand what you are thinking.

It’s like they are trying to communicate with you.

There are two boats in Port Douglas Queensland Australia the Silversonic Dive & Snorkel and Poseidon Reef Trip vessels that hold two of only three permits allowing snorkelers to get in the water with these majestic mammals, an experience enjoyed by only a lucky few hundred people every year.

Nobody really knows why the Dwarf Minke Whales come to the Great Barrier Reef in particular, for it has not always been the case.

Scientists have not yet found out where they come from, or where they go to at the end of their migration.

These mysterious animals can weigh up to 14 tonnes and are extremely rare, having only been discovered in the past 14 years.

To interact with them up close is an amazing experience, whether or not you have the chance to swim with the whales you will have the memory of them forever in your minds as one of the most amazing Great Barrier Reef experiences of your life!

Please note book early in the season as it is normally the juvenile whales that are more interested in human interaction as the one’s with really young calves are in more of a protection mode and not too keen to get too close.

The juveniles migrate northwards to the Great Barrier Reef ahead of the heavily pregnant females and are ready to play.

Book either Silversonic Cruises or Poseidon Cruises and you will be guaranteed a whale of an adventure

Cairns Whale Watching Tours – The Humpback Whales

As if swimming with the Dwarf Minke Whales wasn’t enough, between June and September the larger Humpback whales also pay us a visit.

They come up from the freezing Antarctic waters to mate and give birth, taking advantage of our comparatively warm Coral Sea where they can be protected from predators in amongst the coral bombies.

Sightings of these enormous creatures are quite frequent from July to September, and it is not unheard of for a vessel to sight both Minke and Humpback whales on the same day.

This whale species has an extremely well developed communication system that involves the use of blowing bubbles, high pitch noises and body language.

While scientists have not yet deciphered this secret language, it does make for an amazing show for spectators who are lucky enough to spot them.

The Humpback Whales perform some spectacular aquatics such as:

• Breaching – This is when the whale jumps almost entirely out of the water, letting its body crash onto the surface of the ocean with a mighty splash
• Spy Hopping – The whale will stick its head vertically out of the water, giving the impression it is eyeballing you!
• The Blow – When a whale expels the vapour from its lungs using its blowhole on the top of its head. Often, this is the first sign of a visiting whale
• Tail Slapping – More often than not, this is an aggressive display or a lobtail feeding behaviour as the whale slaps its tail on the surface of the water making the fish band together more tightly enabling the group of whales to feed more easily

Come To Cairns and Watch the Whales for Yourself

There is only one whale watching tour operating in Cairns during the whale migration season of July to September and you have to ensure you pre-book to board this day tour as it is extremely popular especially for the families.

Normally there is only one whale watching tour that departs from the Cairns Marlin Marina daily but if the weather is favourable and there are lots of whales around and lots of demand a second afternoon tour may just proceed.

Swim with Minke Whales On Liveaboard Tours – Great Barrier Reef

Join us for the trip of a lifetime on a 3 – 7 day liveaboard swim with Minke Whales Great Barrier Reef tour and interact with these cute inquisitive whales.

We schedule these extra special dive and snorkel Minke Whale tours over the months of June and July when the Dwarf Minke Whales are on the Great Barrier Reef in larger numbers.

Our on board guests have the chance to see some of the most magnificent coral reefs and enjoy amazing underwater experiences with a huge variety of marine animals.

Our liveaboard Minke Whale tours are so popular you need to book as far in advance as possible, we have the luxury 3 – 7 day tour, the 5 day 4 night swim with Minke Whale tour  or an expedition style Minke Whale tour  each one offering guests the chance of getting up close and seeing how these wonderful mammals are so playful and interested in the human interaction.

On these livaboard swim with Minke Whale tours our boats boast a 98% chance of a number of in water interactions with the whales during the time you are on the Great Barrier Reef.

Read our blogs about past interactions with the Dwarf Minke Whales on our Tour Specialists pages

Book your berth on our next Dwarf Minke Whale liveaboard dive and snorkel tours next year.

As these animals are wild the reef tour operators cannot guarantee a sighting but they do their utmost best to ensure they do find some by keeping in contact with the aircraft above such as the Scenic Helicopter Flights Over The Great Barrier Reef pilots and scenic fixed wing tour operators.

In the rare event the boat does not seeing Humpback Whales on that trip they will offer you the chance to travel with them again on the same ticket on the next available tour.

Book your seat now on a Cairns Whale Watching Tour from Cairns today!

Our tip is if you have a real desire to either swim with whales or wish to go on a whale watching tour in Cairns then do not leave it till the last minute to book as it is limited numbers for a limited season.

Author: Emilie – Cairns Holiday Specialists