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Sunshine Coast Swim with Whales season launches as new 24metre Whale Watching vessel arrives

Published on: July 6, 2021Category: News

The Whales are back and today we are officially launching the 2021 Swim with Wales Season on the Sunshine Coast.

Celebrating the launch of Swim with Whales season – Sunreef’s Dan Hart, with Cr Jason OPray and VSC CEO Matt Stoeckel.jpg

While we have just had a COVID lockdown, 35,000 humpback whales don’t have travel restrictions and are expected to migrate through Sunshine Coast waters.

Sunreef Mooloolaba owner Dan Hart said pre-covid, whale seasons could expect to attract about 15,000 locals and tourists alike to take a closer look and participate in a whale watching or swim with whales experience.

“Everyone was affected by COVID last year, but we still had strong support from locals and the drive tourist market and hosted about 10,000 guests.

“With Whale Watching season starting at the beginning of June and Swim with Whales season coming out of another lockdown, we are hoping to increase that this year.

“Already bookings are strong, and we hope that within COVID restrictions we have another great season.”

whale-breaching-in-front-of-glasshouse-mtns-1-photo-by-katie-jackson-web

2020 Sunshine Coast Whale Watching Season is here!

Published on: June 15, 2020Category: News

The Humpback Whales are back and the 2020 Whale Watching Season on the Sunshine Coast has begun, presenting a special opportunity for locals and Queenslanders.

Sunreef Mooloolaba’s Dan Hart said this year’s whale watching season started a little later than usual due to COVID-19 but that with restricted numbers on board it offers a special experience.

“This year we started a couple of weeks later than usual, but we have our COVID SAFE plan in place which includes additional cleaning and hygiene measures as well as a restriction on the number of people on board,” Dan said.

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“While normally we would have up to 100 guests onboard each whale watching trip on Whale One, at this stage we are hosting just 20 guests for each trip.

Whale One new look

Sunshine Sunshine Coast Whale Watching Season launched and iconic Whale One’s new look christened

Published on: May 29, 2019Category: News

The Whales are back and today heralds the official launch of the 2019 Whale Watching Season on the Sunshine Coast and the official christening of the new-look Whale One, which has just undergone a complete makeover.

This year will see an expected 33,000 humpback whales migrate through Sunshine Coast waters, which will attract about 25,000 locals and tourists alike to take a closer look and participate in a whale watching or swim with whales experience.

Sunreef Mooloolaba owner Dan Hart said in preparation for the season this year, the iconic Sunshine Coast whale watching vessel Whale One has undergone a complete makeover. Over the past few months, the 20-metre catamaran was striped back to bare metal, and completely refurbished.

Whale 2 cropped - Shot with special permission for USC research by Dr Javier Leon-web

USC gets drone’s eye view of migrating whales

Published on: October 18, 2018Category: News

Inexpensive drones are offering scientists from the University of the Sunshine Coast a spectacular birds’ eye view of migrating humpback whales.

Two times a day, three days a week, researchers are setting sail in a Sunreef tourist boat into the waters off Mooloolaba.

Tourism researcher Dr Vikki Schaffer said the drone was an inexpensive consumer-grade model chosen so that the experiment could be replicated in other areas.

“Drones offer an aerial view that is absolutely changing the game for whale research which, to date, has been challenged because of the logistics around getting close to whales,” she said.

Whale-tail-Glasshouse-in-background-1---credit-Brett-Wortman

Sunreef Mooloolaba’s 2016 Swim with Humpback season looking like best yet

Published on: August 8, 2016Category: News

Just one month into the 2016 Swim with Humpback Whales season and already it’s looking like it will be the best yet for Sunreef Mooloolaba who offer Australia’s first Swim with Whales Experience.

“So far this season, we have had more successful swims with the whales than ever before – it seems there are more whales and calves around for this time of the season – and they seem more curious as well,” Sunreef’s Dan Hart said.

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