NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND - WHALE WATCHING

 

Whale-watching at Straddie is on at Point Lookout every year from May - November - and it's free!

 

No boats are needed to experience the annual migration of the majestic humpback whales from Antarctica to their calving grounds near the Great Barrier Reef.

 

Male humpbacks are generally the first to be seen early on in the season from the rocky outcrops of Point Lookout - Queensland's eastern most tip.  They are followed by mothers with calves and finally, pregnant females.

 

As whale-watching Straddie style is land-based, it's accessible to anyone.  Families with small children, the elderly and people with disabilities can enjoy a day of whale watching from a convenient and safe spot at North Gorge, Point Lookout.

 

Easy to spot without binoculars, the first sign of a humpback is usually the "blow".  Adult humpbacks have two lungs, each the size of a small car, which can empty and refill in less than two seconds.  Pods of whales have been seen from Point Lookout breaching and falling from the water, and even bursting out of the water to roll inot a backward somersault.