25 June 2022
Conditions are perfect for whale watching at Port Stephens this weekend, with calm seas, brilliant blue sky and sunshine by the bucket load. Our whale watch cruise aboard the MV Spirit of Port Stephens has started out quietly with Captain Belinda locating a pod of four Humpback Whales close to Fingal Island and all traveling north bound. At times the whales have swum close to the boat and we have watch a few lazy part tail lobs providing a bit of entertainment. But then out of the blue one of the whales has breached fully out of the water not far from the vessel at all, giving all of our passengers the most amazing surprise.
To view video of the most amazing whale encounter head to the Moonshadow TQC Facebook page https://fb.watch/dSk1JL82qn/
The Spirit of Port has viewed our local Bottlenose Dolphins on both the morning and afternoon cruises as we have ventured outside the headland at Shoal Bay.
The seals on Cabbage Tree Island have been enjoying the warm winter sunshine, lying on their backs with their flippers in the air waving to everyone, with another two seals in the water squabbling over who has the ownership over the prime rock position.
Crew report from the afternoon whale watch cruise is again so many whales passing along the Port Stephens coastline with numerous pods seen, we have stayed with two pods of Humpback Whales with two whales in each pod. As we have turned to start the journey home there was a whale breaching in the distance behind us near the Fingal Island Lighthouse.