Whitsunday Jetski Tours and their guests were treated to a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience last Friday 08 July on their Two Island Safari jetski tour enroute to Daydream Island.
Tour guides Ian Wilson and Levi Shapendonk had spotted a whale about 1km away and decided to have the guests shut down the jetski engines and enjoy the spectacle from afar. Within 10 minutes the whale was 60 metres from them. By this time the guests were just so excited to think that the whale had come so close to them and within 5 minutes the young male surfaced metres from the jetskis.
“We had our tour grouped quite close together and the whale moved from ski to ski for over an hour giving us a show. He was so inquisitive and just didn’t want to leave us alone,” said Ian.
Ian has worked with whale populations in different parts of the world, including Tonga, where guests often dive and swim with humpbacks and has been in the Whitsundays working on the water for over six years.
“At all times I was aware of the protection of these amazing creatures and respectful of the rules. It’s fantastic that they’re so inquisitive and trusting of us and treating these encounters carefully will surely see many more wonderful interactions during the season. I’ve never experienced anything like this encounter before. It was magical and will go down as one of the highlights of my life on the water.”