Come For the Whale Watching

Each year between April and November, Australia"s eastern coastline comes alive with the spectacular acrobatic displays of humpback whales. After a summer of feeding on krill in the Antarctic waters, these animals migrate north to sub tropical waters where they mate and give birth>During their migration of up to 10,000 kilometres,humpbacks attract thousands of visitors to coastal towns and a great place to view them is from the Gold Coast.

Ice, temperature and feeding ground are all variables which determine the timing of the annual migration. The northern migration is usually between June and August. While the Southern Migration falls between September and November. The pregnant cows and new-born calves are in the end of the line while the groups are headed up by the young males.

The humpback is the largest whale found in Australian waters, at a maximum length of 16 meters. In the past the value of the humpback was only found in the dead whales for it's oil and whalebone, but now it is a prized species when alive for the thriving economic and environmental value. Due to Whaling in the 19th century many whale specie3s became very close to extinction.

When southern right whales and blue whales became scarce, the whalers began to target the humpback, killing almost 8300 off the east coast between 1949 and 1962 and by the time the International Whaling Commission banned humpback whaling in the Southern Hemisphere in 1963, the whalers had reduced their population to about 5% of the pre-whaling existence. Illegal whaling by the Soviet Union were responsible for killing over 48,000 humpbacks between 1947 and 1973 and today there are still rogue whalers illegally operating in Australian waters.Thankfully, today, the population has shown steady recovery of around 10 % a year and in 2006 was estimated at around 8,000

Gold Coast whale watching tours begin operation in August and guarantee 100% sighting records. Whales in Paradise offers an unforgettable whale watching cruise along with homes of the rich and famous. Gold Coast Whale Watching cruises the Broadwater and Seaway departing from the Marina Mirage which includes morning tea and an educational commentary from the skipper.

Visit The Gold Coast, Broadbeach for a fabulous trip of whale watching. Broadbeach hotels can be researched and reviewed on the goldcoastinformation website. On this site you can find valuable information on Broadbeach accommodation along with other money saving tips and advice.