This encounter happend on a tour I was leading in the Whitsunday Islands on Wednesday. The tour had just stopped off North Beach on Hamilton Island for a break when one of the guests shouted ³look², we all spun to see the huge splash from a whale jumping about 500m away. The whale jumped again this time closer, it then started cruising towards us blowing each time it surfaced, each time a bit closer. It did a big arc then made a bee-line straight at us surfacing about 50m directly in front of us. What happened next was awesome!!! Two of the kayaks were about 5m apart with the third kayak behind us so we formed a U shape, we watched the whale swim directly between the 2 kayaks then surface with a huge blow right in front of the third kayak, it arched itıs back high out of the water then slid gently underneath the kayak almost brushing the bow. The guests in the kayak could have touched it with their paddle! The cheeky bugger then began doing laps around us and under us, each time coming up for a breath right next to the kayaks. We were at itıs mercy, we just floated there as it played around us for about 5 minutes (hoping it didnıt want to get too playful!). When it got bored it took one last breath and lifted itıs tail out of the water and said goodbye. We recognised it as a juvenile humpback whale possibly half grown. This was our fifth whale sighting for July but none have been this close. Check out the awesome photos of the encounter on our website http://www.seakayakingwhitsundays.com.au Just click on the NEWS icon. Cheers Colin Bartley Sea Kayaking Whitsundays P.O. Box 55 Hamilton Island Qld Australia 4803 Ph 07 4948 9711 Fax 07 4946 8760 Email seakayaking_at_whitsunday.net.au http://www.seakayakingwhitsundays.com.au *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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