24 OCTOBER 2026
Sunshine, sparkling water and some spectacular wildlife encounters made today a memorable day aboard Moonshadow-TQC Cruises. Our morning and afternoon whale watch cruises delivered plenty of excitement, from breaching humpback calves to a possible rare visitor off Port Stephens.
10am Cruise: Five Pods and an Unexpected Encounter
Our morning cruise found five pods of humpback whales beyond Little Island, with one mother-and-calf pair treating passengers to several breaches and head lunges. Watching these magnificent whales lift themselves above the surface and splash back into the ocean was a wonderful way to spend the morning.
An intriguing sighting also caught our crew’s attention: a whale we think may have been a Bryde’s whale. Its noticeably pointed dorsal fin prompted a closer look, although this feature alone cannot confirm the species. For now, it remains an exciting, unconfirmed sighting.
Then came a surprise appearance from a smaller ocean resident! A little mako shark was spotted jumping out of the water, with what appeared to be a cookiecutter shark attached. It was a brief and unusual encounter that added to the morning’s wildlife adventure.
With the sun shining and the water sparkling, there was plenty to enjoy in every direction.
1:30pm Cruise: Tail Throws and Lighthouse Backdrops
Our afternoon adventure began as we headed north from Shoal Bay towards the offshore islands, where we encountered a mother humpback and her calf.
The pair were taking sounding dives lasting around six minutes. A sounding dive is a deeper dive beneath the surface, during which a whale stays underwater before returning to breathe. These pauses give everyone time to scan the ocean, watching for the next blow.
The calf broke up the quieter moments with a lively display of peduncle tail throwing. The peduncle is the muscular section connecting a whale’s body to its tail flukes; during a tail throw, the whale swings its rear body and tail sideways out of the water, creating an impressive splash.
Continuing south, we encountered another mum and calf, this time with Fingal Island Lighthouse forming a beautiful backdrop.
The little calf was practising its breaching skills and, by sheer coincidence, surfaced in just the right position for the keen photographers onboard. A young humpback launching out of the water with the lighthouse behind it – an unforgettable Port Stephens photo opportunity!
Every Cruise Tells a Different Story
From the morning’s busy waters beyond Little Island to the afternoon’s breaching calf near Fingal Island, today was a wonderful reminder of how varied a day on the ocean can be.