Whale Sightings

It has been a hazy start to the day in Nelson Bay with a low sea mist hovering making for a mystical appearance as MV Osprey cruised out through the headland at Shoal Bay. We have been treated with the sighting on a local Port Stephens Bottlenose Dolphin and her calf, and a Sea Eagle as we cruised through the Bay.

The vessel has been approached by two Humpback Whales who have taken a keen interested in the boat and our passengers onboard. The pair have mugged the boat, circling and swimming around, rolling onto their backs and showing their most wonderful white bellies. Our cruise has turned into a people watching cruise with the whales spy hopping to bring their eyes to surface and take a good look around them giving all of our passengers an amazing close whale encounter.

There was certainly no shortage of whales being sighted during the 1:30pm Whale Watch Cruise, with the crew reporting plenty of whales seen close to the off shore islands. The captain has zigzagged from one pod to another before we came across a south bound pod of whales which started breaching which appeared to trigger whales in other pods to also start breaching. Patience has paid off this afternoon.

Not to be out done by the whales, a very large pod of 40 – 50 Short Beaked Common Dolphins have made a bee line for the bow of the vessel, darting in and out of the water and riding the pressure wave as the MV Osprey has moved through the water.