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Whales

Swimming with Minke whales on the Great Barrier Reef.

Amongst the many wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, the opportunity to swim with the dwarf minke whales would have to be one of the most amazing. Between the months of May and August pods of Dwarf Minke Whales migrate through the tropical waters off Port Douglas and frequent the Agincourt reefs. Poseidon holds one of only three permits in the area that allows our passengers to swim with these curious and friendly creatures.

To conduct this amazing encounter, we abide with some very strict guidelines imposed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Groups of up to 10 swimmers can be positioned on a floating line and it is the whales that are in control. Naturally inquisitive, the curious Minkes invariably come in close to check out the swimmers often staying for up to an hour, sometimes the more curious ones will follow Poseidon when we move on to our next site.

While these encounters can never be guaranteed (the whales don’t operate to our timetable) they are frequent during our winter months and sightings are usually common.

Humpback Whales

From early July until late September the much larger Humpback Whales are also encountered as they too migrate to warmer water to mate and birth. These magnificent creatures often give breathtaking displays of breaching, tail slapping and “spy hopping” which is when they surface vertically and actually stick their head out of the water so that they can see above the waterline.