Extremely close encounters of the whale kind are happening on the Sunshine Coast as curious migrating humpbacks swim within 10m of paddlers and boaties.
As some 35,000 majestic humpbacks journey past the Coast this season, locals have had some of their closest experiences with whales in the ocean.
Fisherman Ben Bischoff caught this amazing footage of paddler Elle Hughes as a calf played near them for about 15 minutes off Peregian Beach on Monday.
Mr Bischoff was fishing in a kayak at sunrise when Elle paddled over to alert him to a whale breaching behind him.
“I caught a glimpse of it about 500m away so we made our way over and we pulled up and stopped paddling (to maintain distance) and then it came over to us,” said Mr Bischoff.
The calf was with what appeared to be two adult humpbacks.
“I was sitting in the kayak and it came in closer. It was waving and slapping and rolling and playing around, not trying to swim away or be aggressive,” he said.
“It was one of those things that takes your breath away but they’re also so large and daunting.”
Mr Bishchoff, who fishes with a GoPro and loads videos to his YouTube channel Bisho, opted to grab his phone and quickly snap footage as the whale slapped the water near Elle.
Ms Hughes was on her knees on a stand up paddle board as the whale breached and slapped the water with its pectoral fin.
“It was amazing and I’m still just learning every day from the experience,” said Ms Hughes.
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Gypsy Streiner, the manager of Sunreef which runs whale watching and swim with the whales trips from Mooloolaba, said she too had recently experienced her closest encounter.
“The other day was my closest experience with a mother and baby about 10m away, they were pretty close,” she said.
“The mum was obviously comfortable with swimmers as she allowed the calf to stay on the swimmers’ side and was letting the calf have a look.”
“That was pretty special that she felt comfortable.”
Ms Streiner said boats and people on the water had to follow some distancing rules so as not to upset the beautiful creatures.
Boats cannot approach within 100m while swimmers have to stay back 30m and it’s up to the whale whether it chooses to sidle up closer to the watercraft or people.
Ms Streiner said it had been a great season for whale encounters as they appeared to be indulging their curiosity about humans.
“For us swimming in the water with our snorkels and masks and slippers flailing around in the water and to see the magnitude of the whale and it’s so interested in us, it can be so humbling.”
Ms Streiner said it was important for swimmers, surfers, paddlers and boats not to approach whales and to stop paddling no matter what kind of craft.
“They are very curious and most often they will come over. It’s important to give them that space.”
