Close Call

October-November 2002

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Colin Bartley

Close call in the land of Oz. Photo: Johan Loots Photo courtesy of Sea Kayaking Whitsundays

On Wednesday July 31st our tour had a most amazing whale encounter. The tour had just stopped off North Beach on Hamilton Island for a break when one of the guests shouted "look". We all spun to see the huge splash from a whale jumping about 500m away. The whale jumped again, this time closer, 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.

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 two kayaks, then surface with a huge blow right in front of the third kayak. It arched its 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 paddles! The cheeky bugger then began doing laps around and under us, each time coming up for a breath right next to the kayaks. We were at its mercy. We just floated there as it played around us for about five minutes, hoping it didn't want to get too playful!When it got bored, it took one last breath, lifted its tail out of the water and said goodbye.

We recognised it as a juvenile humpback, possibly half grown. This was our fifth whale sighting for July but none have been this close.

© Colin Bartley, Sea Kayaking Whitsundays, Hamilton Island, Queensland, Australia

E-mail: seakayaking@whitsunday.net.au

Web: www.seakayakingwhitsundays.com.au