Whale Swim & Watch - Hervey Bay Dive Centre

Hervey Bay Dive Centre operates the regions only dedicated whale swim experience between July and August. From September onward, the tour moves to a whale watch focus. Guest numbers are strictly limited (max 12) making for a personal and fun day on the water. Each sighting is different and every whale swim unique and personal. People that have swam with whales often describe the experience as "life changing".

With the smallest guest numbers in the bay you’ll feel like part of the family. The team at Hervey Bay Dive Centre look forward to welcoming you aboard!

Features & Facilities

Eco Tourism Certified

Fully licensed

On-board toilet

Free car park

 

*** Important notes ***

On the whales terms

Swimming with the whales is conditions dependant and we only do so with the right whales and on their terms. We champion a strict Code of Practice when interacting with the whales. The key component to this agreement, and a core philosophy of ours, is “on the whales terms”. In short this means we only interact with whales that are happy for us to do so. In these cases where you may not be able to swim with the whales, our tour offers a unique and personal whale watch encounter

Seasons and peak swim periods

The peak swim period is mid-July through early September and this is the best time to immerse with the whales. During this time the tour will focus on maximising your opportunity to swim with the whales. This is the peak season in which the tour runs in the morning. For the whales comfort, we only snorkel with them as they're not keen on bubbles.

From September more calves start arriving in the bay. As a requirement of our Marine Park Permit we are not able to swim with calves. This makes finding suitable adult whales to swim with more challenging. Therefore, from September, to the end of the season in late October, our tour focuses on more of a unique watch experience. This is our low season which we run in the afternoon. If the opportunity arises to swim during this period we will aim to get you in the water.

Guaranteed sightings

We guarantee whale sightings (seeing a whale from the vessel) between 1st August and 14th October. In the unlikely event that the skipper cannot locate a whale during this period you will be offered a full refund or free return ticket.

We cannot guarantee swimming with the whales as it is conditions and whales dependant, but we try our best!

Children

Children under 8 years are not permitted to swim with the whales and a parental guardian must remain with them on the vessel. If 2 guardians are present they can interchange between the vessel and swimming when conditions permit. The tour is not suitable for children under 4 years.

Departure

This tour departs at 7:30 a.m. and 1:30pm daily from the Dive Centre office located on the Boat Club Marina. The vessel, M.V. Utopia, is crewed by an experienced local skipper and friendly qualified dive crew.

Swim Rates (peak season July - September)

Adults: $150

Kids (4-14yrs): $110

Family: $420 (2x adults & 2x kids)

Watch Rates (low season September - October)

Adults: $120

Kids (4-14yrs): $70

Family: $300 (2x adults & 2x kids)