A group of tourists have been fortunate to experience the opportunity of a lifetime at a Queensland marine park.
Moments before finishing a snorkelling trip, the Aquascene Magnetic Island tour captured the moment they were greeted by a pod of up to 40 false killer whales.
Skipper and Aquascene co-owner Adam Hinks said they first became tipped off by the pods presence after a big splash was spotted nearby.
“Someone spotted a big splash nearby; it was way too big for dolphins and too early for humpbacks,” he said.
“One of them jumped clean out of the water and that’s when I was able to make a positive identification.”
False killer whales are so named because the shape of their skulls, not their external appearance, is similar to that of killer whales, according to the International Whaling Commission.
Reaching up to six meters in length, the species behaves much more like a smaller dolphin, swimming quickly, occasionally leaping and sometimes approaching whale watching vessels.
Mr Hinks described the experience as “a real cherry on top of a tour” and said he had only seen the species five or six times during his career.
“They were just absolutely in relaxed mode with an occasional jump happening here and there,” he said.
“They weren’t there for a long amount of time, but it was special”
Mr Hinks said after the encounter, he reported the event to the community tracking platform Eye on the Reef as a way of contributing to “citizen science”.
“It’s a massive marine park and it’s impossible for them to be out there patrolling it all,” he said.
“It really, really helps the authority get a picture of what’s out there and where it is.”
Mr Hinks advised that seeing this species of oceanic dolphin close up was rare as they prefer deeper waters, but the encounter also allowed them to hear the calls of the false killer whales by staying quiet on the hull of the boat.
“It brings out emotion in people when they hear these creatures,” he said.
“I’ve been a skipper on the coast here for 35 years and I’ve only seen it five or six times.”
Mr Hinks also advised the conditions of the day made the encounter with the whales a “beautiful experience” and that conditions on the water created a relaxed and calm atmosphere for both the visitors and the animals.
“It was just such a calm and beautiful day,” he said.
“It’s one of those things you certainly remember and my guests will remember that for the rest of their life guaranteed.”
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