A boat full of tourists was forced to drift out to sea for over half an hour last week, bound by maritime laws to remain stranded off the Australian coast. Many on board said it was “the best day of their lives”.
Jessica Millar, who was the captain of the Sapphire Coastal Adventures boat, told Yahoo News the tourists and crew members weren’t alone, and this is the reason why they weren’t permitted to move. Instead, they were being “mugged” by three humpback whales off Merimbula in southern New South Wales, and to honour wildlife protection laws, they had to switch off their propellers.
“We were lucky the other day because we were stationary, watching a whale, and then these others came in and they just surrounded the boat,” she told Yahoo. “It’s predominantly the young adults that are coming down the coast, and they’re not in a major hurry, so they’re quite inquisitive.”
Tourists were lucky enough to wave to the whale as it watched them. Source: Facebook/Sapphire Coastal Adventures
Until November, humpback whales migrate down past the east coast of the country after the breeding season in search of krill-rich waters near Antarctica. Jessica explained the whale watchers are often the ones being watched themselves by the young whales, who are not yet sexually mature, but have more liability to explore, unlike calves, who stick close to mum’s side.
“It’s always really special because obviously we’re there for whale watching, but it’s amazing when they come and do some people watching. You can see they’re looking at us, they raise their eye above the water to check us out,” she said.
Some on board said it was the best day of their lives as the whales performed for the excited passengers. Source: Facebook/Sapphire Coastal Adventures
Whale watching continues to be tourists’ favourite part of Australia
Whale watching continues to be a popular activity for tourists and locals alike, as whales migrate up and down the coast like clockwork every year.
In recent years, passengers have been stunned to witness some incredible scenes off the coast while searching for whales. Last August, a boat full of people witnessed killer whales feeding on a humpback whale calf off the Western Australian coast — with marine photographer Holly Matheson telling Yahoo News at the time many of those who witnessed it were left “speechless”.
“We were all speechless, with tears in our eyes, [we] could hardly breathe, hearts racing, and our bodies shaking with this incredible encounter,” Matheson said, calling it a bittersweet moment, but an extraordinary one nonetheless.
Humpback whales were also accused of mugging tourists near Manly in Sydney last year, with the whales acting similarly to those sighted near Merimbula last week.
“It’s not uncommon for people to say it’s the best day of their life,” Captain Millar said.” On that particular day, four gentlemen were aboard, and they were sort of just accompanying their girlfriends. They said they thought it was going to be boring, but it was actually amazing.
“When the whales stop their migration and come and look at you, it’s always a feeling of privilege. You certainly never get tired of that,” she said.
What are the penalties for coming too close to marine mammals?
The reason that muggings take place is that there are strict rules observers must follow, and penalties, to the tune of $3,000 in New South Wales for those caught breaking the rules. Last month, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) urged all spectators to be across the guidelines.
In NSW, approaching a whale closer than the legally permitted distance can result in significant penalties. Under the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017, individuals may face fines up to $3,300, while corporations can be fined up to $16,500 for such breaches.
But if a curious whale comes to say hello, skippers must switch off their engines and wait until the whale leaves.
Specific approach distances include:
100 metres for vessels near adult whales.
300 metres for vessels if a calf is present.
300 metres for personal watercraft (e.g., jet skis) at all times.
100 metres for drones or unmanned aircraft.
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