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Explorer
MINKWHALE
Excursions
In
1995 Undersea Explorer contacted Dr Peter Arnold, Museum
of Tropical Queensland regarding the development of a collaborative
Dwarf Minke Whale research project. With the invaluable
guidance of Dr Alistair Birtles, James Cook University,
the project was formed. Since then Undersea Explorer has
facilitated hundreds of hours of in-water and surface observations
of Dwarf Minke Whales - resulting in detailed movement,
behaviour and size estimation records of the whales.
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Photographer
John Rumney
The
Undersea Explorer Dwarf Minke Whale expedition spending
6 days on the Great Barrier Ribbon Reefs, has developed
into an amazing experience of in-water whale encounters
unparalleled around the world. On these expeditions
you will swim with magnificent Dwarf Minke Whales, and have
the added bonus of diving the northern Great Barrier Reef.
Most
of our whale interactions are conducted while snorkelling
and being totally predictable while holding on to lines
attached to the vessel as it drifts. This ensures that the
encounter happens under the whales terms. The dwarf minke
whales within the northern Great Barrier Reef are probably
the most curious and interactive of all the baleen whales.
Encounters
usually last for over 1 ½ hours and often many hours
with multiple whales. Usually Undersea Explorer breaks off
the encounter before the whales, after hours of close whale
passes and sufficient scientific data gathering! Seeing
a whale from above the water is amazing, seeing a whale
whilst in the water with it is incredible, close and prolonged
eye contact with a whale is a lifetime experience and eyeballing
a whale while its vocalisations reverberate through your
chest is as good as it gets! We now know a lot more about
these whales since their identification as a possible new
species in 1985.
The
project has been responsible for developing a world-renowned
set of guidelines and code of practice for minke whale encounters.
This has enabled in-water encounters to be sanctioned by
the International Whale Commission, Marine Park Authority,
& Environment Australia as well as the tourism industry.
In fact this has resulted in sustainable dwarf minke whale
experiences when currently most in-water marine mammal interactions
are being banned around the world.
Every
guest on board is helping fund the project and is part of
the exciting research. Snorkellers and divers will help
identify individual whales, be involved in behavioural observations
and be absorbed by the atmosphere of minke research.
Also
remember that this is not 'just' a whale trip. There is
also the magnificent diving and snorkeling on the coral
gardens and pinnacles of the Great Barrier Ribbon Reefs.
Mix this with world class marine interpretation with experts
in whale and coral reef biology and it really is a unique
adventure.
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