Whale Swim & Watch tours

Hervey Bay Dive Centre operates the regions only dedicated swim with the whale experience when the humpbacks whales visit Hervey Bay between July and October. Our professional Crew and PADI Dive Team give 100% to ensure you get the experience of a lifetime and an awesome adventure on the water.

This exclusive experience is an incredibly special opportunity to watch & swim with one of nature's most majestic mammals, the Humpback whale, a curious, gentle and trusting creature. Even if we cannot swim for one reason or another our tour offers a unique and personal whale watch encounter in the best humpback whale watching destination in the world, Hervey Bay!

Guest numbers are strictly limited making for a personal and fun day on the water.

Each sighting is different and every whale interaction unique and personal. People that have swam with whales often describe the experience as "life changing".

From mid July our cruise maximises your opportunity to swim with the whales. The swim experience takes place via a 20m mermaid line connected to the stern of the vessel.

For the whales comfort we only snorkel with them as they're not keen on bubbles.

Swimming with the whales is conditions dependant and we only do so with the right whales and on their terms.

We provide all the equipment including a wetsuit, mask, snorkel and safety gear.

We depart from the floating Dive Centre office located on the Boat Club Marina near the fuel wharf. Our swim vessel, the M.V. Arcadia, is crewed by an experienced local skipper and friendly PADI dive crew.

Offering the small group unique experience you will encounter a most memorable tour and we look forward to hosting and welcoming you aboard.

Hervey Bay Whale Watch Season
Mid-July to late October is our swim and whale watch season.  During this time the tour will focus on maximising your opportunity to engage in an immersive experience with the whales. Note that from mid September to the end of the season more mothers and calves start arriving into the bay which makes for fantastic whale watching. It is a requirement of our Marine Park Permit that we are not able to swim with calves however every effort is made by the crew to seek out appropriate whales to immerse and swim with.

On the whales terms
We champion a 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. Whales have personalities and feelings and on occasions they just want to be left alone to do their our thing. This must be respected!

The Approach

Operators permits allow a whale watch vessel to approach a whale at 100m distance. Once the vessel has positioned it self it is up to the whales to show enough interest to want to wonder over and interact with the vessel and more importantly you the customer.

Guaranteed sightings
We guarantee whale sightings (seeing a whale from the vessel) between 1st August and 14th October. In the very 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 that you will be able to swim with a whale on every tour and also on occasions the weather, sea state and whales behaviour will prohibit the opportunity. 

Children
Children under 8 years are not permitted to swim with the whales and a parental guardian must remain with them at all times through out the tour. 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.