The id efforts and resulting population research related to the dwarf minke whales that visit the northern great barrier reef are a terrific example of multiple parties from academia, government and the general public working together toward a constructive objective. Abiding by strict codes of practice, a maximum of two surface ropes are placed in the water with swimmers with snorkel gear positioned 3 to 4 metres apart. Swim with dwarf minke whales on the great barrier reef. Although first scientifically described in the mid19th century, it was not recognized as a distinct species until the 1990s. During the months of june and july, between 60 and 80 dwarf minke whales come to the warm waters off queenslands northern coast to frolic, mate and calve.
More recently an industry has developed in the cairns section of the great barrier reef marine park based on swims with dwarf minke whales balaenoptera. The common minke whale or northern minke whale balaenoptera acutorostrata is a species of minke whale within the suborder of baleen whales it is the smallest member of the rorquals and the second smallest species of baleen whale. Background the minke whale project conducts multidisciplinary research into dwarf minke whale biology and behaviour, the social and economic values of the whales and the sustainable management of swimwithwhales tourism. Minke whale dive expeditions great barrier reef mike. We spend our days exploring the amazing dive and snorkel sites of the remote ribbon reef, with an underlying focus at all times to. Over 3 nights you come face to face, eye to eye with minke whales in june and july each year. Whales and dolphins great barrier reef marine park.
A new tourism industry has developed in recent years, where permitted operators take tourists out to specifically swim with these animals, based on voluntary. Minke whales are the second smallest baleen whale in existence. The minke whale is the smallest baleen whale with 5070 throat grooves. Curious dwarf minke whales are known to swim close to inspect divers when encountered.
In 2003 the great barrier reef marine park authority gbrmpa introduced permits to conduct swimmingwithwhales activities in the cairnscooktown. Though some of those permitholders have since ceased operation, no more permits have been issued. The most common whale species that frequent the waters of the great barrier reef are. But have you ever come face to face with a dwarf minke whale. During the months of may to august, whales visit the great barrier reef. Australia great barrier reef whale watching handbook. To be more precise, the best location for the stout is ribbon re. Dwarf minke whales are most commonly seen on the outer reefs of the great barrier reef between the months of march and october, with the best viewing time being the june to july period. Checking out humans seems to be something the dwarf minke enjoys and it is this curiosity that the species is best known.
Only on australias great barrier reef can you swim with. The first field studies of dwarf minke whales in the great barrier reef began in 1996, involving the late dr peter arnold from the museum. Swim with whales on the great barrier reef poseidon. Whales and dolphins are iconic species that hold a special significance for many users of the great barrier reef. Cairns whale watching tours on the great barrier reef. The minke whale project is supported by many organisations and lots of wonderful people. When underwater you can hear the minke whales singing to each other, which is their main form of communication. Check out the video to learn more about the experience and why you should do it yourself. Pdf getting closer to whales passenger expectations and. Swimming with the great barrier reef minke whales cnn travel.
Book one of our world famous swim with dwarf minke whale tours on the great barrier reef in the peak months of june and july for the experience of a lifetime choose from our 3 night, 4 night or 7 night liveaboard dive and snorkel tours to the ribbon reefs in the northern section of australias great barrier reef. Swim with minke whales ribbon reef whale trips spirit. What whales live in the great barrier reef answers. The great barrier reef is located on their way to antarctica that makes it an ideal spot for getting the firsthand experience observing them travel. Attraction of dwarf minke whales balaenoptera acutorostrata to. They are the most abundant rorqual in the world, and their population status is considered stable throughout almost their entire range especially when compared to other species of large whales. Australias great barrier reef in tropical north queensland is the only place in the world where can you swim with friendly dwarf minke whales theres only one spot on the planet where you can swim with dwarf minke whales and only a few lucky people get the chance to do so each year.
We are particularly grateful to our institutions, james cook university and the museum of tropical queensland, as well as longterm support from the great barrier reef marine park authority, the queensland parks and wildlife service, and wildlife conservation ngos including the whale and dolphin. These gentle giants visit the northern great barrier reef off the coast of tropical north queensland between junejuly each year forming the only known predictable aggregation in the world. A diffuse aggregation of dwarf minke whales occurs in the northern great barrier reef world heritage area gbrwha during the austral winter months. Its been a while since i was out diving and snorkelling in the great barrier reef. Getting closer to whalespassenger expectations and experiences. Book your dwarf minke whale dive tour expedition today.
Great barrier reef whales pro dive cairns australia. Get up close and personal with these mysterious marine mammals as we delve into the world of swimming with dwarf minke whales. Resighting of a female dwarf minke whale named crescent. Take part in minke whale behaviour monitoring and research attend lectures by trained crew on the ecology of the reef 98% success rate of minke whale sightings. However in six years of surveys, only one antarctic minke whale has been seen in the northern great barrier reef compared with up to 200 dwarf minke whales per season. In the evening, attend an interpretive talk and power point presentation by researchers on whale biology, behaviour and the history behind the minke whale project. In australia, the whales spend the summer months december march cruising the sub antarctic waters, before moving to cairns northern ribbon reefs from march to october, with 80% of sightings recorded in june and july. The expeditions allow you to swim and be in the water if a minke whale is encountered at any of the great barrier reef sites the vessels are licenced to visit.
Between the months of may and august pods of dwarf minke whales migrate through the tropical waters off port douglas and frequent the agincourt reefs. Scuba dive in great barrier reef cairns minke whale. A whale of a time on the great barrier reef dwarf minke. Swimming with minke whales on the great barrier reef. It is a rorqual whale baleen whale with throat grooves. Minke whale dive expeditions with mike ball dive expeditions from cairns to the ribbon reefs. Both antarctic and dwarf minke whales are found in great barrier reef waters. During this period the liveaboard boats that operate to these remote reefs can almost guarantee a close encounter with a dwarf minke whale. It is thought that the great barrier reef dwarf minke whale is related to the north atlantic minke, or is an unnamed species.
An expedition dedicated to maximising your inwater interactions at the worlds only known minke whale aggregation sites. Location of the dwarf minke whale swim with whales activities. Swim with dwarf minke whales on the great barrier reef this junejuly with eye to eye marine encounters. Tourism operators must have an endorsement from the great barrier reef marine park authority to conduct swims with dwarf minke whales, and only a handful of tour operators in port douglas and cairns are permitted to provide these unique whale experiences. About minke whales dwarf minke whales were only recently noticed and described as a unique species of whale in the 1980s.
Dwarf minke whales and cod hole on the great barrier reef. Minke whale dive expeditions great barrier reef mike ball dive. Although first ignored by whalers due to its small size and low oil yield, it began to be exploited by various countries beginning in the early 20th century. Minke whales are members of the baleen whale family and are the smallest of the great whales or rorquals. Showing up on the reef every winter, the minke whales only stay in town for a few months. The great barrier reef marine park is the only place in the world where dwarf minke whales regularly approach boats and divers. For some aboriginal and torres strait islander groups, such as the woppaburra people of the keppel islands, the whale mugga mugga is the clan totem that connects them to their ancestral land and sea country as well as to their ancestors. As the only permitted operator with no fixed itinerary, we are free to make the most out of changing sea conditions and animal behaviour, ensuring you get the very best whale watching experience possible. In the past 10 years, only nine swimmingwithminke permits have been issued by the great barrier reef marine park authority.
There are two known species of minke whales, the north atlantic minke whale and the slightly larger antarctic minke whale. The ribbon reef area of the great barrier reef is where the species first came to scientific attention, and over the last 30 years, we have learnt much from being able to observe these animals up close. Commercial swim programs with dwarf minke whales on the northern great barrier reef, australia. Minke whales on the great barrier reef reef biosearch. Add the great barrier reef drive to your road trip bucket list. These spectacular creatures migrate to our tropical waters to mate and give birth to their young.
Its a phenomenon that happens nowhere else in the world. The commonly sighted whale species are the dwarf minke whale and the humpback whale. It is the second smallest rorqual after the common minke whale and the third smallest baleen whale. Australias winter is a high time to set off for the minke whale watching expedition. Fly dive swim with minke whale expedition 34 or 7 nights junejuly mball. The great barrier reef is the only location where snorkel and dive tours with minke whales are available and mike ball dive expeditions is one of a handful of operators licenced to operate them. Depending on the events of previous day, focus upon either divingsnorkeling on the reef, or spotting whales.
Diving in deep with the barrier reefs minke whales. With 1500 species of fish, 300 species of hard corals, 4000 mollusc species and 400. Cairns dwarf minke whale trips on great barrier reef. The dwarf minkes are a winter highlight on the northern stretches of the great barrier reef the season generally runs from june till august, with high season taking place between midjune and midjuly but the reef itself is a yearround wonderland. This equates to around 35% of the worlds total living cetacean species. Dwarf minke whales in the great barrier reef jurgen freund. As the name says, for a baleen whale they are rather small, growing to a maximum of 8 meters, or 24 ft, and on the endangered list, thank you japan for. Indeed, up to 200 dwarf minke whales have been seen on the great barrier reef per season. Dwarf minke whales are an undescribed subspecies of minke whale that occur throughout the southern hemisphere and were first recognised in the great. Everything you need to know about swimming with dwarf. On dive report we list whale and dolphin species in our animal calendar, but please be aware that with minke whales this does not necessarily mean that you can easily dive with them in the locations listed. The antarctic minke whale or southern minke whale balaenoptera bonaerensis is a species of minke whale within the suborder of baleen whales. They are the only known predictable aggregation in the world.
The minke whale was first described by the danish naturalist otto fabricius in 1780, who assumed it must be an already known species and assigned his specimen to balaena rostrata, a name. Swim, scuba dive with minke whales on the great barrier. Dwarf minke whale snorkeling in great barrier reef. Minke whales are among the smallest baleen whale species and it wasnt until the 1980s that scientists recognised the different species of minkes, including the. Silversonic and the quicksilver group proactively contribute to this program. Diving with dwarf minke whales dive the world creature. In addition the north atlantic and north pacific common minke whales also have separate. Code of practice for dwarf minke whale interactions gbrmpa. One of the most exciting events to look forward to on the great barrier reef in july are dwarf minke whales. Dwarf minke whales in the great barrier reef mike ball dive. Indeed, only two boats make regular trips to the dwarf minke whale area from cairns. The great minke whale migration 4 day4 night mv ocean quest to great barrier reef outer reefs and ribbon reefs. While dwarf minke whales can be seen almost anywhere on the great barrier reef over winter, they are most frequently seen on the ribbon reefs, especially in june and july. In junejuly, snorkelers can encounter dwarf minke whales in great barrier reef, queensland, australia.
Our swim with minke whale trips are basically a modified version of the cod hole trips. Come with us for a very unique experience to encounter and interact with dwarf minke whales in the warm waters of the great barrier reef. The dwarf minke whale expeditions run through june and july. Each winter on the great barrier reef, a rare and extraordinary wildlife encounter takes place. We set out with mike ball expeditions on one of their minke whale expeditions. In the whale world, being called a dwarf is definitely a relative term the dwarf minke whales that can be found in the waters of the great barrier reef still average just under eight metres in length, with a weight of up to five tons. Unlike any other whale experience worldwide the dwarf minke are unique, the encounters are regular and entirely initiated by the whales themselves. Swimming with dwarf minke whales great barrier reef. The minke whale migration through the great barrier reef was only discovered in the mid1980s. Dwarf minke whales are, however the stars of the show in a unique swimwithwhale programme that has been running for over 20 years in the great barrier reef, australia. Swim with dwarf minke whales in the great barrier reef. Amongst the many wonders of the great barrier reef, the opportunity to swim with the dwarf minke whales would have to be one of the most amazing. Australias great barrier reef world heritage area provides an important breeding sanctuary for approximately 30 species of cetaceans whales and dolphins. During the months of june and july, divers and snorkellers may have the opportunity to interact with dwarf minke whales in the warm waters of the great barrier reef.
Whale watching on the great barrier reef is simply spectacular. In fact, scientists dont know why it happens at all. Mike ball expeditions we would be visiting some of the great barrier reefs most popular dive sites. The great barrier reef is the only place in the world that you can swim with dwarf minke whales. Sperm whale shortfinned pilot whale various species of.
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