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. 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. 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. 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.
Swim with dwarf minke whales on the great barrier reef. Dwarf minke whales in the great barrier reef jurgen freund. But have you ever come face to face with a dwarf minke whale. Whale watching on the great barrier reef is simply spectacular. Although first scientifically described in the mid19th century, it was not recognized as a distinct species until the 1990s. We set out with mike ball expeditions on one of their minke whale expeditions. Indeed, only two boats make regular trips to the dwarf minke whale area from cairns. 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. 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. 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. The great barrier reef is the only place in the world that you can swim with dwarf minke whales. 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.
A diffuse aggregation of dwarf minke whales occurs in the northern great barrier reef world heritage area gbrwha during the austral winter months. Dwarf minke whales are an undescribed subspecies of minke whale that occur throughout the southern hemisphere and were first recognised in the great. Its been a while since i was out diving and snorkelling in the great barrier reef. Over 3 nights you come face to face, eye to eye with minke whales in june and july each year. Curious dwarf minke whales are known to swim close to inspect divers when encountered. This equates to around 35% of the worlds total living cetacean species. 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. Depending on the events of previous day, focus upon either divingsnorkeling on the reef, or spotting whales. Great barrier reef whales pro dive cairns australia. Indeed, up to 200 dwarf minke whales have been seen on the great barrier reef per season. The dwarf minke whale expeditions run through june and july. Everything you need to know about swimming with dwarf. Minke whales on the great barrier reef reef biosearch.
The minke whale is the smallest baleen whale with 5070 throat grooves. They are the only known predictable aggregation in the world. Swimming with minke whales on the great barrier reef. The minke whale project is supported by many organisations and lots of wonderful people. Whales and dolphins are iconic species that hold a special significance for many users of the great barrier reef. About minke whales dwarf minke whales were only recently noticed and described as a unique species of whale in the 1980s. Dwarf minke whales in the great barrier reef mike ball dive. 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. Dwarf minke whales and cod hole on the great barrier reef. During this period the liveaboard boats that operate to these remote reefs can almost guarantee a close encounter with a dwarf minke whale. Dwarf minke whale snorkeling in great barrier reef. Location of the dwarf minke whale swim with whales activities. Snorkeling with minke whales great barrier reef youtube.
Minke whale dive expeditions great barrier reef mike. Our swim with minke whale trips are basically a modified version of the cod hole trips. Minke whales are members of the baleen whale family and are the smallest of the great whales or rorquals. 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. It is the second smallest rorqual after the common minke whale and the third smallest baleen whale. Getting closer to whalespassenger expectations and experiences. 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. In addition the north atlantic and north pacific common minke whales also have separate.
The most common whale species that frequent the waters of the great barrier reef are. A new tourism industry has developed in recent years, where permitted operators take tourists out to specifically swim with these animals, based on voluntary. 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. Checking out humans seems to be something the dwarf minke enjoys and it is this curiosity that the species is best known. 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. During the months of may to august, whales visit the great barrier reef.
Whales and dolphins great barrier reef marine park. Minke whale dive expeditions great barrier reef mike ball dive. Attraction of dwarf minke whales balaenoptera acutorostrata to. Check out the video to learn more about the experience and why you should do it yourself. Silversonic and the quicksilver group proactively contribute to this program. Each winter on the great barrier reef, a rare and extraordinary wildlife encounter takes place. Only on australias great barrier reef can you swim with. Both antarctic and dwarf minke whales are found in great barrier reef waters. Diving in deep with the barrier reefs minke whales. Add the great barrier reef drive to your road trip bucket list. Book your dwarf minke whale dive tour expedition today. A whale of a time on the great barrier reef dwarf minke. Australia great barrier reef whale watching handbook. The two species of minke whale are the common or northern minke whale and the antarctic or southern minke whale.
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. Though some of those permitholders have since ceased operation, no more permits have been issued. Cairns whale watching tours on the great barrier reef. Unlike any other whale experience worldwide the dwarf minke are unique, the encounters are regular and entirely initiated by the whales themselves. Sperm whale shortfinned pilot whale various species of.
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. Minke whales are the second smallest baleen whale in existence. 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. To be more precise, the best location for the stout is ribbon re. Code of practice for dwarf minke whale interactions gbrmpa. Mike ball expeditions we would be visiting some of the great barrier reefs most popular dive sites. 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. Get up close and personal with these mysterious marine mammals as we delve into the world of swimming with dwarf minke whales. There are two known species of minke whales, the north atlantic minke whale and the slightly larger antarctic minke whale. Swimming with dwarf minke whales great barrier reef. Diving with dwarf minke whales dive the world creature. Swim with dwarf minke whales on the great barrier reef this junejuly with eye to eye marine encounters. 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. 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.
The commonly sighted whale species are the dwarf minke whale and the humpback whale. 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. We spend our days exploring the amazing dive and snorkel sites of the remote ribbon reef, with an underlying focus at all times to. In fact, scientists dont know why it happens at all. 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. Cairns dwarf minke whale trips on great barrier reef. 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.
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. The dwarf minke whale tourism monitoring program was a world first fully permitted swimmingwithwhales program and is conducted in partnership between the great barrier reef marine park authority, researchers and the tourism industry. It is a rorqual whale baleen whale with throat grooves. Swim, scuba dive with minke whales on the great barrier.
Swim with minke whales ribbon reef whale trips spirit. 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. Showing up on the reef every winter, the minke whales only stay in town for a few months. 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. When underwater you can hear the minke whales singing to each other, which is their main form of communication. Commercial swim programs with dwarf minke whales on the northern great barrier reef, australia. In the past 10 years, only nine swimmingwithminke permits have been issued by the great barrier reef marine park authority. With 1500 species of fish, 300 species of hard corals, 4000 mollusc species and 400. 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. 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.
Swim with dwarf minke whales in the great barrier reef. Its a phenomenon that happens nowhere else in the world. Fly dive swim with minke whale expedition 34 or 7 nights junejuly mball. Scuba dive in great barrier reef cairns minke whale. In junejuly, snorkelers can encounter dwarf minke whales in great barrier reef, queensland, australia. 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. The great barrier reef marine park is the only place in the world where dwarf minke whales regularly approach boats and divers. 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. One of the most exciting events to look forward to on the great barrier reef in july are dwarf minke whales. 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. Australias winter is a high time to set off for the minke whale watching expedition. What whales live in the great barrier reef answers. 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.
The great minke whale migration 4 day4 night mv ocean quest to great barrier reef outer reefs and ribbon reefs. 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. 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. Those that you can dive with from australias great barrier reef are dwarf minke whales, a possible 3rd subspecies yet to. 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. Australias great barrier reef world heritage area provides an important breeding sanctuary for approximately 30 species of cetaceans whales and dolphins. 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. In 2003 the great barrier reef marine park authority gbrmpa introduced permits to conduct swimmingwithwhales activities in the cairnscooktown. An expedition dedicated to maximising your inwater interactions at the worlds only known minke whale aggregation sites. Resighting of a female dwarf minke whale named crescent. The minke whale migration through the great barrier reef was only discovered in the mid1980s. It is thought that the great barrier reef dwarf minke whale is related to the north atlantic minke, or is an unnamed species. Minke whale dive expeditions with mike ball dive expeditions from cairns to the ribbon reefs. The antarctic minke whale or southern minke whale balaenoptera bonaerensis is a species of minke whale within the suborder of baleen whales.
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