“We love whales”

2010 Gold Coast Whale Watching 

 Season commences 1st June 2010

100% Success Rate 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006

We don’t miss seeing the whales on any trip

Dont spend hours driving to far away destinations to see humpback whales - We can offer you world class ‘whale watching’ right here off Coolangatta and Tweed Heads….

THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS!!!!!

For the past four years, we have seen whales on every single trip , up close and personal!!, Cows and calves, whales feeding, dozens of pods all within viewing distance at one time.  All  happening in close proximity to Tweed Heads and Coolangatta!!!! We have been ‘whale watching’ since 2000 and we’d love to share our vast knowledge and passion with you!! We offer great service and the best possible whale action that’s out there

We guarantee to see the whales on every cruise - that’s our promise to you…. See Whales or receive a FREE TICKET!!

“Whale Watcher”

Loads of room to move.

Purpose Built whale-friendly vessel

• 50′ stable catamaran - SHE’S A BEAUTIFUL BOAT !!

• Get close to the whales - you can almost touch them - smell their breath - feel their vapour on your skin - hear them breath - snort - awesome, please remember we follow all rules and regulations when watching whales, we must adhere to the 100 meter exclusion zone - but if they come to us - fantastic!

• 46 passengers maximium

• Comfy inside cabin

• Large under cover decks

• Full walk-around deck

• Upper viewing deck with seats

• Toilet

Experience some of the best whale watching in Australia

• 3 hour cruises

• Yummy refreshments of donuts, and biscuits, tea and coffee

• Educational and informative commentary

• Trips 8am and 12.30pm daily (3 hr trips) most popular trip early morning due to sea conditions. 

• 100% Guaranteed Whales on every trip or receive a free ticket for another day (we haven’t missed in 4 yrs)

• Transfers available for $5 per person return from Tugun, Kirra, Coolangatta, Rainbow Bay, Tweed Heads to the boat and return. $10 per person return from Currumbin, Elanora, Palm Beach or Kingscliff in the south. 

• Tour Itinerary

• Boarding the vessel from the Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club Private Jetty, we head down the Tweed River, taking in the beautiful surrounds on our way out to the ocean, taking approximately 10-15 minutes and then we on our way to the whale highway.

  Feel the excitement as we spot our first pod on their annual migration. The first sign that whales are around is usually the blow.  When a Humpback Whale expels its breath, the vapour can be seen for kilometres on a clear day. You will hear the Captain yell out “There She Blows” and away we go

  Our experienced staff will make you feel welcome, we give you an informative commentary of whale behaviour and are dedicated to providing you with a close encounter that will blow you away

  There is complimentary tea, coffee, biscuits and donuts on board.  Soft drinks and chips are available for sale.

  The Tour will last approximately 3 hours, we sometimes find the whales within 20 minutes of leaving the jetty and sometimes it takes longer, it just depends on where the pods of whales are at the time, but we find them no matter where they are.

    Bring some cash if you want to buy soft drinks, chips, photo’s etc

Children are 4 - 14 years of age.
* Under 4 Years not recommended
Concessions Rates are for Students with valid photo Student ID or ISIC, YHA, VIP and Australian Seniors card holders. All Concession ticket holders must show valid ID on Boarding

Whale Watching is truly a magical experience.
Tony & Carol are very experienced and
devoted to saving and protecting the whales.

Wear runners/joggers, bring a warm jacket, charge up your camera/video, bring spare batteries and memory cards, take sea sickness tablets, leave your luggage at home, get directions and don’t miss the boat, you must be there 30 minutes prior to departure time.  For further tips, information, directions go to our Location - Directions - Tips page.

No banana’s on the boat !!!

There are no credit card or eftpos facilities on the boat

Wednesday 26th August -
Javier from Spain is blown away

Common Dolphins swimming in front of the boat - some days we see hundreds of dolphins - and some days we don’t see any - but when we do they are pure magic as they swim with us darting in and out and leaping out of the water - if you listen carefully you can hear them and if you are watching them from above they roll over and look back at you whilst they are speeding along - awesome stuff

Check out these stories

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/26/2667626.htm

 

…This friendly Humpback could hear me calling out to him so he came for a closer look, laid upside down and showed us his magnificant white belly - I was so excited as he looked straight at me - oh my what a day !!…

Wednesday 26th August 2009 - our friendly humpback whale gives us all a big wave

Orca Whales Tuesday 25th August 09 - this female Orca rides our waves off the back of Whale Watcher

If I only had longer arms August 09

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Some questions that will help you with your trip

What types of whales will I see?

       The most common whales seen on our cruises are humpback whales, we have seen southern Right whales, Minkes, Orcas, and Pilot Whales - the most entertaining is of course the beautiful Humpbacks.

Will I see other marine life?

We often see common dolphins whilst they are out hunting for their daily food, if you are lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins, they will more than likely come straight to the boat and swim under the bow. We often see bottlenose dolphins in the river, sometimes even before we leave the jetty, we have one friendly seal that likes to show off around Cook Island and you will see a variety of bird life, especially the fabulous Gannet, Terns, Albatros, Pacific Gulls

Will I see Migaloo (the white humpback whale)?

Only if we are very lucky. Each whale swims past on their northern and southern migration, sometimes at night or when we are not out there and sometimes many miles out to sea.  We have seen Migaloo in 2005 off Port Macquarie and in 2009 off Coolangatta, we have connections up and down the coast and are constantly looking out for him.  He normally goes past the Gold Coast in July and travels back again late September, we missed him last September 2009 by a few hours, but were lucky enough to see him on his way North on our 9am trip on the 1st July 2009

How close do we get to the whales?

As responsible whale watchers we don’t approach to within 100m of the whales. That doesn’t mean the whales can’t come to us and they do. Whales often display a measure of curiosity – at times they will dive for a few minutes and come up where you least expect them, sometimes close to the boat!

What happens if it rains?

Light rain is no problem, we have undercover areas and an inside cabin area with windows all around, so you can be warm and undercover.  Bring a spray jacket if it looks like rain. In heavy rain we don’t go to sea.

What about motion sickness, will it be rough?

We are in the ocean and it is always better to come prepared. If you are still concerned, we recommend you check with a pharmacist and eat lightly before embarking.

Are there toilets on board?

Yes

Is Morning or Afternoon better?

It really depends on the day, each day is different. Sometimes the wind is blowing in the morning but drops off in the afternoon and vise versa. The whales don’t seem to be more or less active as the day progresses 

What are the important things to look for in a whale watching boat?

1. Success and Experience, you want a boat that sees the whales, do they report their sightings? Do they see many(or any) whales on each trip? Do they offer a Guarantee? How long have they been whale watching? 2. What is their attitude over the phone - is it friendly and informative
3. Viewing space and decks where you can see all around the boat and especially ahead of the boat.
4. History. How long has the company been operating? What material do they provide for “first time” whale watchers.

Aquatic Blue Charters are proud supporters of the following organizations.