Quicksilver Group Christmas Charity Appeal Launched
6th of November 2023
Rare whale shark encounter for semi-sub passengers
10th of August 2022
New Marine Biologist educational and sustainability activities
12th of October 2023
Green Island reef regeneration project shows impressive progress
31st of January 2023
Humpback whale season in full swing
27th of July 2022
Quicksilver Group wins Large Employer of the Year
17th of July 2024
Whale season in the Tropical North is in full swing with daily humpback sightings. This mother and calf put on a show for passengers and crew aboard dive and snorkel vessel Silverswift as they playfully breached repeatedly out of the water. Watch to see mamma show how it's done!
The encounter occurred near Green Island as the vessel was returning from a day at the Outer Reefs.
Quicksilver Group Environment and Compliance Manager, and cetacean expert, Phil Coulthard said “Whale season is in full swing and it’s always very exciting to see the humpbacks in our tropical waters. This mother and calf duo have been seen around the same location for several days.
We’re seeing the humpbacks almost daily at this time of year. It’s part of their winter migration to our region from the southern oceans of Australia to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.”
The sightings are recorded for the GBRMPA’s Eye on the Reef monitoring program.
Humpbacks are generally seen at the Great Barrier Reef between the months of June to September with regular sightings near Green Island and at the Outer Reefs, bringing an added bonus for passengers at this time.
Humpback whales regularly migrate from Antarctic waters along the east coast of Australia every winter to the warmer waters of the Great Barrier Reef to breed and calve. They grow up to approximately 16 metres in length, weighing in at 30-40 tonnes. Male humpbacks produce “songs”, which are believed to attract females at mating times.
Humpbacks can display a wide range of behaviour, including:
Video clip from Teresa Souyet, Reef Biosearch Marine Biologist