Whale
Watching Gold Coast · June through November · Expert Marine Guides

The most dramatic display — up to 90% of a 40-ton body launches from the water. Purposes include communication, parasite removal, play and competitive displays between males.

The iconic whale tail raised high and slapped forcefully onto the water surface. Produces a thunderous crack audible for kilometres. Used for communication and occasionally as aggression signal.

The whale rises vertically, holding its head above the surface for several seconds to survey the horizon. Whales are genuinely looking around — at the boat, the sky, other whales. One of the most intimate encounters.

A humpback's enormous white pectoral fins — up to 4.6m long — waved or slapped against the water surface. Particularly common in mothers with calves and during social encounters.

A whale floating motionless at the surface, barely moving. Whales sleep uni-hemispherically — half the brain sleeps while the other maintains breathing. Allows boats to approach for exceptional close encounters.

As a whale descends deeply, it raises its tail fluke — the classic "goodbye wave." Each fluke has a unique pigmentation pattern used by scientists for individual identification, like a fingerprint. The best photography moment of any cruise.