WHALE SIGHTINGS

WHALE WATCH SIGHTINGS

Unlike our resident bottlenose dolphins no one can predict you will see a whale at any particular time or place and much depends on weather conditions. However, approximately 9,000 Humpback whales will pass Port Stephens on their northern migration between May and August and then again as they head back south between August and mid November.

However, Moonshadow Cruises will offer you a free return cruise (stand-by basis) if you don't see a whale!

2009 Whale Sightings Update

Check out up to date sightings of whales and other marine life from Captains Chris, Michael & Matt on Moonshadow V...

What a season 2009 has been... Moonshadow can boast a 91% sighting rate! Thank you to the whales for performing above expectations this year and we welcome you back next year (around mid May would be good thanks whales).

Sat 14/11/09 - The last whale watch cruise for the season went out with a bang with Captain Chris, Shireace and Tracey spotting a very active mother and juvenile hump back. They came right up close to the boat treating passengers to a whole lot of tail slapping as they waved goodbye to the whale watch season. Already counting down till the start of next whale season May 2010!

Fri 13/11/09 - More breaching whales today! Captain Michael, Cath & James found a mother and calf who were happy to put on a great performance for passengers with lots of tail slapping and breaching. If they keep it up, looks like we will end our whale season on a high tomorrow!

Thurs 12/11/09 - We may be drawing to the end of our whale watch season but no one has told the whales that. The whales were out in full force today with Captain Mick and Shireace spotting a mother and calf just off Cabbage Tree. Passengers enjoyed an up close and personal experience when the whales came right up next to the boat. Passengers also spotted two beautiful sea eagles.

Wed 11/11/09 - They have done it again... Captain James and Shireace found a mother and calf today. Only three more days of whale watch cruises this year... don't miss your chance!

Tues 10/11/09 - Captain James and Jaclyn spotted yet another mother and calf off Boondelbah Island today. The season is drawing to a close... only four more days of whale watching left for 2009. Still plenty of whale around though, unfortunately our vessels just have other commitments.

Mon 9/11/09 - unfortunately we did not have a whale watch cruise operating today.

Sun 8/11/09 - Captain James, Kevin and David did it again... a mother and calf spotted North East of Cabbage Tree Island.

Sat 7/11/09 - Captain Chris, Shireace and David were successful today with a mother and calf breaching outside the heads this morning and two adult Humpbacks (yes, adults, no calf) this afternoon.

Fri 6/11/09 - The average sea conditions and damp weather were all but forgotten on the morning whale watch crusie when passengers were entertained by a mother and her calf breaching. Captain Michael and Shireace were keen to head back out this afternoon but worsened sea conditions prevented them from doing so.

Thurs 5/11/09 - First time in weeks that we didn't see a whale today. Sea conditions were not the best resulting in the cancellation of the afternoon cruise and unfortunately Captain Chris and Shireace were unable to track down the friendly giants this morning.

Wed 4/11/09 - Captain Chris, Julie & Joyce headed out on the morning cruise with a bit of a chop on the seas. This didn't deter the whales from making an appearance with mother and calf spotted near Boondelbah Island. Unfortunately the wind picked up in the afternoon resulting in the cancellation of the 1:30pm cruise.

Tues 3/11/09 - Captain Chris & Jaclyn started the morning cruise off with 4 large pods of common dolphins and a mother and calf humpback whale. The whales were quite happy just cruising along side the boat but things hotted up on the afternoon cruise. There were mothers and calfs everywhere - breaching, tail slapping and putting on a great performance for all on board.

Mon 2/11/09 - Captian James and Shireace had an eventful day out on the water catching up with a mother and calf just out past the heads. They saw the same mother and calf in the afternoon along with another humpback breaching a little further out.

Sun 1/11/09 - Captain Matt, Shireace and Kevin did it all again today... mother, calf and escort this morning with non-stop breaching and tail slapping and then another mother and calf with the calf breaching this afternoon.

Sat 31/10/09 - Today we had Captain James, Julie, Shireace on board along with Fran Bridger, a whale watching researcher. And we didn't disappoint with six whale spotted this morning east of the Islands and another five Humpbacks this afternoon.

Fri 30/10/09 - Captain Michael, Lisa and Kevin had yet another great day of Mothers and breaching calves, with two spotted this morning and another two this afternoon.

Thurs 29/10/09 - It was a beautiful day to be out on the water with Captain James, Kevin & Jaclyn. They spotted 2 adult humpbacks on both the morning and afternoon cruise with a whole lot of tail slapping and splashing around.

Wed 28/10/09 - Captain Matt & Julie were itching to get back out on the water today after a couple of days of unpleasant sea conditions. And the whales were out there waiting! Passengers were delighted by the sight of a mother and calf frolicking in the water along side the boat on the morning cruise. And on the afternoon cruise we spotted two groups of humpbacks of course all heading south on their way home.

Tues 27/10/09 - The sea conditions are still too unpleasant for ocean going cruises so we had to cancel the whale watching cruises for today. Weather should be clearing so our fingers are crossed for tomorrow.

Mon 26/10/09 - Unfortunately choppy sea conditions prohibited us from going out whale watching today.

Sun 25/10/09 - And the whales just keep on coming! Captain James, Kevin & Tracey had another successful day out on the water finding mother and calf on the morning cruise and another mother and calf in the afternoon cruise BREACHING!

Sat 24/10/09 - Captain James, Julie and Ryan spotted a mixture of mothers and calfs today near both Cabbage Tree Island and Fingal Light House.

Fri 23/10/09 - Captain Michael, Shireace and Kevin saw every whale trick imagineable today with a calf tail slapping and breaching continuously along side proud mum. A glorious day out on the water for all passengers.

Thurs 22/10/09 - Captain Michael & Shireace spotted more whales today. A mother and calf were just taking it easy cruising south on their way home. Jeffrey the friendly seal also made an appearance today sun baking on the rock.

Wed 21/10/09 - Southern Right Whales!!! Yes you heard right, Captain Michael, Kevin and Tracey caught up with 2 southern right whales this morning - a mother with her calf. This truly is a treat as it is very rare to see this particular species of whale this far north. The afternoon cruise was also a hit with 2 breaching whales off Middle Island.

Tues 20/10/09 - Captain James was quick to the whales today with a mother and breaching calf spotted this morning and then another three adult Humpbacks near Fingal Lighthouse this afternoon and another two whales just spotted a bit further out... that's right seven whales today.

Mon 19/10/09 - Captain Chris, Shireace and Kelly were in luck today with a mother and calf this morning just North of Cabbage Tree... breaching and spyhopping. Then this afternoon was another of those stand out cruises with three mothers and their calves spotted. One mother and calf swam under the boat and right past our underwater cameras with a spectacular show on our monitors on deck.

Sun 18/10/09 - Captain Chris, Shireace and Kevin set out today and spotted a mother and calf cruising along between Boondelbah and Middle Islands. The a breaching juvenile put on a show of breaching just off Little Island this afternoon.

Sat 17/10/09 - Unfortunately no cruise today due to sea conditions.

Fri 16/10/09 - It was a beautiful sunny day in the bay today with plenty of people keen to spot some whales. Captain James, Kevin & Shireace didn't disappoint, catching up with 4 humpbacks just off Boondalbah Island on the morning cruise. The babies came out to play in the afternoon with a calf breaching and tail slapping along side mum.

Thurs 15/10/09 - The whales were out in full force again today with Captain James, Jacyln and Shireace spotting a mother and calf on both the morning and afternoon cruise. The calf looked like it was having an awesome time tail slapping and rolling around everywhere. Jeffrey the seal even made an appearance making it an enjoyable day for all on board Moonshadow V.

Wed 14/10/09 - Captain Matt, Julie and Ryan got half way to Broughton before finding a beautiful mother and calf this morning, with the calf slapping and breaching and having a great time. Another mother and calf off middle Island this afternoon... it is all beginning to sound monotonous seeing mothers and calves each day... but trust us it's not!

Tues 13/10/09 - We had two boats out today... Moonshadow V did our official whale watch and spotted a mother and calf this morning off Boondelbah and an adult Humpback south of Broughton this afternoon (and two breaches). Moonshadow III headed out to Broughton Island and on the return journey was befriended by a juvenile whale that spent half an hour eyeballing the passengers, nearly getting into the tender vessel and just not leaving us alone (not that we minded). An awesome day of whale watching today.

Mon 12/10/09 - Captain Chris and Lisa and David kept up the sighting tally today with four Humpbacks spotted off Little Island this morning and two breaches. Then a mother and calf close to the boat just outside the heads this afternoon.

Sun 11/10/09 - Captain James, Julie and Deckie James were out today with much better seas and you guess it... spotted anothe rmother and calf heading South just outside Port Stephens headlands.

Sat 10/10/09 - The seas calmed down during the morning so we were able to get out this afternoon... and saw Mothers and calves galore! We had a mother and newborn very close to the boat and another mother and juvenile breaching a bit further out off Cabbage Tree Island.

Fri 9/10/09 - Another day of miserable weather has stopped us from going out on our whale watch cruises today. We know the whales are out there and the southern migration is in full swing with plenty of calves to see. We just need some good weather!!!

Thurs 8/10/09 - Gale force winds do not make for a comfortable whale watch crusie so unfortunately we were unable to head out whale watching today.

Wed 7/10/09 - Captain Michael, Julie and James have not let us down today. A breaching Humpback spotted right outside the heads first thing this morning and then we caught up with another two whales during the cruise. A beautiful mother and calf off Fingal Island this afternoon. The calf was practising her breaching, not very successfully!

Tues 6/10/09 - Captain Chris, Cath and crew spotted three adult Humpbacks off Boondelbah, who were quite inquisitive and approached close to the boat, displaying some tails. Another two whale were then spotted in the afternoon near Broughton Island.

Mon 5/10/09 - Captain Chris, Cath, David and Renee were in luck again today. A mother, calf and escort spotted North of Cabbage Tree Island this morning with the calf breaching. Then another three Humpbacks spotted outside the Heads this afternoon. Great sightings over the last week!

Sun 4/10/09 - We got out today with Captain James, Shireace and Ryan and the whales didn't disappoint. Three Humpbacks spottted today.

Sat 3/10/09 - Unfortunately no whale watch today due to the weather.

Fri 2/10/09 - Captain Matt and Julie had a great day again today with whales galore! Five adults whales and one calf spotted this morning with tail slaps, pectoral slaps and breaches. Then this afternoon 'lots' of whales off Fingal Bay with breaches, pectoral slaps, tail slaps and a breaching calf!

Thur 1/10/09 - It's days like today that Captain Chris, Shireace and David really love their jobs. It may have been stinking hot on the land but out on the water it was perfect! Both the morning and afternoon cruise were jam packed with not only whales but seals and dolphins as well. They had mothers and calves double breaching left right and centre, a seal swimming along side the whales and loads of friendly bottlenose dolphins. I think it is fair to say there were lots of smiles all round.

Wed 30/09/09 - Captain Matt, Julie & Ryan were in luck today. A mother, her calf and an escort were spotted today off Fingal Island. The calf had a great time breaching for us. And seas were good!

Sat, Sun, Mon & Tues 26 - 29 Sept - We have had no luck with the seas and have had to cancel our whale watch cruises. Fingers crossed for tomorrow?

Fri 25/09/09 - Captain Chris and Kevin got out whale watching today and the whales didn't disappoint. One Humpback breaching off Middle Island this morning and another two Humpbacks near Cabbage Tree this afternoon, with more breaches!

Thurs 24/09/09 - No whale watch cruise again today. The seas are still recovering from yesterdays high winds. Looking better for tomorrow though.

Wed 23/09/09 - Port Stephens is enveloped in a dust storm. Strong wonds and an orange haze has meant that whale watching was not an option today.

Tues 22/09/09 - Captain James, Kevin and David have kept up our Southern migration sightings today with a mother and calf spotted near Broughton Island... circling around the boat and topping off their morning with a breach! Then this afternoon another adult Humpback was spotted just off Boondelbah early in the cruise.

Mon 21/09/09 - Captain James and Julie were lucky today. Two Humpback calves off Little Island that were doing their breaching practise, they just didn't stop breaching. Another two adult Humpbacks were spotted off Fingal Island this afternoon. Southern migration sightings are now excellent.

Sun 20/09/09 - Captain Matt, Jukie and Kevin has another great day with three Humpbacks near Bondelabh Island. It looks the numbers are improving, the Southern migration is underway!

Sat 19/09/09 - Captain Matt, Kevin and Shireace were in luck today with two Humpbacks spotted near Broughton Island.

Fri 18/09/09 - An unsuccessful day in terms of whale sightings but a beautiful day out on the water. It is quite normal to get a bit of a lull between the northern and southern migrations. But get ready because they will be coming down in full force very soon!

Thur 17/09/09 - Captain Michael, Shireace and Jaclyn unfortunately had no luck in finding whales today. But vouchers were handed out to all passengers so they can join us on another hopefully more successful whale watch soon.

Wed 16/09/09 - Captain Michael and Shireace had a tail slapping adult Humpback off Broughton Island today.

Tues 15/09/09 - Captain James and Shireace spotted a mother and calf just off the headlands. They stuck around for the afternoon cruise as well... so they weren't migrating anywhere quickly!

Mon 14/09/09 - unfortunately we had to cancel the cruise today.

Sun 13/09/09 - Captain Chris, Kevin and Kaclyn had two great Humpbacks today, circling the boat and putting on a spectacular show for passengers. Tail slaps, pactoral waves and lots of surface action!

Sat 12/09/09 - Captain James, Kevin and Shireace saw both Minke and Humpback whales today. There were two Minke whales spotted this morning and a Humpback this afternoon off Little Island (and it seemed to be heading North).

Fri 11/09/09 - Unfortunately no whales today.

Thurs 10/09/09 - Captain Mick and Kevin spotted a Humpback near Broughton Island this morning and another two Humpbacks just East of Broughton this afternoon.

Wed 9/09/09 - Captain Matt and Julie had better luck today spotting a Humpback today heading South. The whale was a fair distance off the coast but provided a good display for passengers.

Tues 8/09/09 - Unfortunately no whales spotted today... they just weren't playing today.

Mon 7/09/09 - Captain Chris and Kevin were successful this afternoon, spotting four adult Humpbacks migrating South!

Sun 6/09/09 - Captain Michael, Julie, Evie and Bruce spotted a Humpback off Broughton Island today.

Satruday 5/09/09 - Unfortunately no whales today.

Fri 4/09/09 - Captain Chris and Lisa saw two Humpbacks off the headlands today... again heading North.

Thurs. 3/09/09 - Captain Michael and Shireace spotted a lone Humpback heading South today.

Wed 2/09/09 - Captain Matt and Julie. Another mother and her calf spotted today, heading North (and Jeffrey our resident Seal).

Tues 1/09/09 - Captain James and Julie saw one whale today... crsuing along on its migration.

Mon 31/08/09 - Captain James and Cath saw our first Humppback mother with her calf heading back South today, just off Fingal Bay. The first of many we expect!

Sun 30/08/09 - Captain Chris, Kevin & Shireace unfortunately didn't see any whales today... but they did see Jeffrey the Seal.

Sat 29/08/09 - Captain Chris, Kevin and Jaclynspotted two Humpbacks cruising North off Fingal Bay today. Whales are still heading in both directions!

Fri 28/08/2009 - The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the ocean calm - perfect whale watching conditions. Captain James & Kevin lucked out on the morning cruise but struck gold on the afternoon cruise with 2 whales, loads of dolphins and Jeffrey the fur seal!

Thurs 27/09/2009 - The strong winds we have had over the last couple of days must have blown the whales away as Captain Michael and Shireace had no luck in finding the friendly giants today. However, all passengers were given a voucher to come back and join us on another, hopefully more successful, whale watch adventure soon.

Tues & Wed 25/08/09 - 26/08/09... Gale force winds have prevented us from getting out whale watching. OUr crew are now just itching to get back out and spot some whales!

Mon 24/08/09 - Captain Matt and Julie. Two humpbacks have been spotted this morning and approached close to the boat, with a few tail slaps.

Sun 23/08/09 - Captain Chris, Kevin & Julie saw Southern Right whales again today. They have been spotted around Port Stephens a few time over the past two weeks.

Sat 22/08/09 - We are now in the middle of the whale watching season with whales travelling both north and south. Captain Michael, Shireace and Kevin spotted 1 whale heading north and another 2 whales heading south on this mornings whale watch cruise. They also caught up with Jeffrey the seal and saw a breaching whale in the distance.

Fri 21/08/09 - Captain James, Lisa & Evie caught up with 2 very relaxed whales on the morning cruise swimming along side the boat for passengers to admire. Things really hotted up on the afternoon cruise with passengers witnessing the unforgettable sight of a mother and calf. As if that wasn't enough, another 2 whales performed every possible whale watch trick - breaching, tail slapping, spy hopping - you name it they were doing it. The whales were so close to the boat you could almost touch them. And the success rate in whale sightings just keeps getting better and better!

Thurs 20/08/09 - This years whale watching season continues to impress with Captain Matt & Lisa spotting 2 whales off the lighthouse on the morning cruise and a breaching whale near Boat Harbour in the afternoon.

Wed 19/08/09 - Captain Matt and Julie whale watching today. Great seas and some nice tandem tail slaps from the two humpbacks spotted this morning... plus Jeffrey the Seal. The two Humpbacks still heading North this afternoon spotted off Fingal Bay.

Tues 18/08/09 - Captain James and Shireace. The Southern migration has begun! We have whales going both North and South at the moment. A beautiful mother and her calf were seen off Fingal Lighthouse today, with some tail slaps and breaches.

Mon 17/08/09 - Captain James and Julie saw two Humpbacks this morning and then this afternoon spotted two whales off Boondelbah and another four Humpbacks heading towards Broughton (with a spyhop), plus some very playful Common Oceanic Dolphins and Jeffrey the Seal.

Sun 16/08/09 - Captain James, Julie & Kevin on today and spotted an adult Humpback and two beautiful Southern Right whales today.

Sat 15/08/09 - Captain James and Kevin again, plus Jaclyn had a great day whale watching today. Two whales just south of Fingal Lighthouse this morning, plus a Seal (not Jeffrey) and a seal pup. Then, another two pods of two Humpbacks each this afternoon.

Fri 14/08/09 - Captain James and Kevin. Two Humpbacks this morning migrating North still, and an active Humpback this afternoon breaching and tail slapping.

Thurs 13/08/09 Captain Matt, Shireace saw a mother and juvenile Humpback this morning and another adult that approached quite close in the afternoon... plus Jeffrey the Seal on Cabbage Tree Island.

Wed 12/08/09 - Captain Matt & Shireace set out today and spotted two very playful Humpbacks off Fingal this morning. Very close to the boat, rolling, waving, as well as Jeffrey the seal. This afternoon Jeffrey brought some little penguins over to see the boat, much to the delight of our crew and passengers. Oh, and we also saw an adult Humpback off Boondelbah and a juvenile Humpback off Fingal!

Tues 11/08/09 - Captain James & Kevin spotted a Humpback heading North off Little Island this morning and another heading North this afternoon. Not many heading South yet.

Mon 10/08/09 - Captain Matt and Cath spotted two Humpbacks and a Minke whale today. We haven't seen any Minke's in a while, so this was good. Not so good was the passing on a newborne Humpback calf that beached itself just North of Port Stephens last night. Thanks to ORCCA and all those who did their best to get the calf back to its mother.

Sun 9/08/09 - Captain Matt, Shireace and Julie were happy to have the calmer seas back this morning and with the sun shining, they knew they were in for a good day. Passengers were entertained by a whale on the morning cruise putting on a great show of breaching and spy hopping. A couple of other curious whales joined in and then another 2 humpbacks were spotted on the afternoon cruise just off Fingal. A very successful day.

Sat 8/08/09 - Captain Matt, Julie & Shireace had an adventurous day out on the water today. The sea conditions proved to be challenging for even the extremely experienced Captain Matt who had difficulty getting the boat in a good position to see the whales. However all passengers were issued with a voucher to come back and join us on another whale cruise.

Fri 7/08/09 - Captain James and fellow crew members Shireace and Brad had an up close and personal experience with the whales today. They caught up with a number of whales on both the morning and afternoon cruise, who were happy to swim along side the boat with one passenger even seeing the whales eye!

Thurs 6/08/09 - Captain Chris & Shireace spotted 5 whales on their cruising adventures today. One juvenile in the morning and 4 curious adults in the afternoon. The largest in the afternoon pod entertained the passengers with some spectacular breaching.

Wed 5/08/09 - Captain Chris & Julie. Another three humpbacks spotted today... the whale just keep on coming and the weather just can't get any better. We are so lucky to live and work in Port Stephens.

Tues 4/08/09 - Captain James, Kevin & Matt spotted two humpbacks this morning and one of them put on a great display breaching four times. And yes, we saw Jeffrey again.

Mon 3/08/09 - Captain Michael, Cath & Matt. Two Humpbacks off Little Island this morning and four seals at Boondelbah (including Jeffrey). This afternoon we had a pod of two Humpbacks, plus two Southern Right whales mating... another very exciting cruise for crew and passengers alike!

Sun 2/08/09 - Captain James, Shireace & Michael. Yet more whales today. Two whales spotted this morning and another four this afternoon. We continue with 100% sightings since June!

Sat 1/08/09 - Captain Chris, Julie & Kevin. Two Humpback still heading north this morning and another two this afternoon.

Fri 31/07/09 - Captain James, Cath. A juvenile whale traveeling by himspef, followed by another pods of three whales that supplied some breaches and tail slaps this morning. Our friend Jeffrey the seal spotted this afternoon, as well as three beautiful big humpbacks off Fingal Island.

Thur 30/07/09 - Another beautiful day out on the water in Port Stephens. Captain Chris and Shireace caught up with some very energetic humpback wahles with a breaching whale on the morning cruise and a double breach in the afternoon. Our new mate Jeffrey the seal was also around to entertain the passengers.

Wed 29/07/09 Captain Michael, Julie & Matt. Two pods of Humpbacks spotted today... the northern migration is still underway!

Tues 28/07/09 - Captain James & Julie. Two Humpbacks pottted off Fingal Lighthouse this morning and then another two whales and some breaches this afternoon... and we also caught up with our seal. He is now an honorary Port Stephens resident and we have named him Jeffrey.

Mon 27/07/09 - Captain James, Julie and Brad. What a day... Humpbacks spotted this morning, but more exciting was the Southern Right whale and calf that entered Port Stephens Harbour today. Both the whale watch and dolphin watch passenger got to see whales. Hard to believe but Captain James was momentarily speechless!

Sun 26/07/09 - Captain Chris, Kevin, Shireace. Whale everywhere today - two pods off Fingal lighthouse and another three whales off Boondelbah Island this morning and a breaching humpback this afternoon.

Sat 25/7/09 Skipper Michael, Shireace, Matt & Jaclyn and passengers enjoyed a stunning day of whale watching. With perfect weather the morning cruise caught up with 3 pods with around 2 whales per pod coming fairly close to the boat and showing some nice tails. On the afternoon cruise two friendly humpbacks again came up close and personal and one even did a spyhop for the onlookers.

Fri 24/07/09 Skipper Jack, Shireace & Jacqui had one curious humpback swimming alongside the boat on the morning cruise, and in the afternoon two more humpbacks came to get a closer look at the passengers. Sometimes you wonder who is watching who?

Thurs 23/7/09 - Skipper Chris, Kevin & Brad caught up with one humpback off Fingal on the morning cruise, but with multiple breaches it was an enjoyable performance. Passengers on the afternoon cruise saw 3 or 4 humpbacks off Fingal again, with a couple of breaches.

Wed 22/07/09 - Captain James, Julie & Jaclyn. We saw everything today... whales plus a seal, a penguin, oceanic dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and beautiful smooth seas (and no rain!).

Tues 21/07/09 Captain Michael, Julie, Shireace. Two humpbacks spotted off the heads as soon as we left the Harbour this morning and three separate pods of two Humpbacks each this afternoon... plus a number of seals. There have been plenty of seals around lately which is great!

Mon 2/11/09 - Captain James & Shireace had an eventful day out on the water catching up with a mother and calf just outside the heads. They saw the same mother and calf in the afternoon and another humpback whale breaching a little further out.

Mon 20/07/09 Captain Matt, Cath & Jaclyn spotted a lone Humpback heading North and then another group of four who were not in such a hurry and provided some great tails slaps... and we saw a seal having some fun off Fingal.

Sun 19/07/09 - Captain James, Cath & Julie. One of those absolutely memorable days of whale watching today. Four whales breaching, breaching, breaching this morning and more whales this afternoon putting on a display of tricks for our passengers (tail slaps, breaches and body rolls) and hundreds of Common Ocean dolphins as well!

Sat 18/07/09 - Captain Chris, Shireace and Kevin. Four humpbacks cruised by very close to the boat off Boondelbah Island and provided a great display of tail slaps today.

Fri 17/07/09 - The rainy weather didn't stop Captain Jack, Shireace & Cath from finding the whales today. A large pod of dolphins rode the bow waves out through the heads this morning where they met up with a pod of whales. One whale in particular was a real show off breaching over and over again. Passengers on the afternoon cruise also enjoyed the acrobatic antics of a humpback.

Thurs 16/07/09 - Captain Jack & Kevin caught up with 2 humpbacks this morning and this afternoon making their way up the coast to the warmers waters of Queensland.

Wed 15.07.09 Captain Matt, Julie and James saw four whales this morning off Fingal Bay and two pods of a few whales each this afternoon with some tail slaps off Middle Island. A nice smooth day in the ocean today!

Tues 14/07/09 Captain Matt and Julie spotted one Humpback this morning and another two this afternoon all fairly focused on their Northern migration.

Mon 13/07/09 Captain Michael, Kevin & Jaclyn had a great day whale watching with one spotted this morning and another five this afternoon and a pectoral wave and tail slap.

Sun 12/07/09 Captain James, Kevin and Jaclyn. Some very cruisy whales today heading North.

Sat 11/07/09 Captain Matt, Julie & Kevin saw six Humpbacks off Fingal lighthouse this morning and another two this afternoon South of Fingal Bay.

Fri 10/07/09 - And the whales continue to put on a show with Captain James meeting up with a couple of humpbacks just off Fingal and another whale breaching in the distance on the morning cruise and one very active breaching whale on the afternoon cruise.

Thur 9/07/09 - Captain Jack, Shireace and Jackson had another successful day out on the water spotting two humpback whales on both the morning and afternoon cruise.

Wed 8/07/09 Captain Chris, Kevin, Michael. Two whales spotted straight outside the heads this morning and another eight Humpbacks heading North along the 'Whale Highway,' this afternoon.

Tues 7/07/09 Captain Matt, Julie, Chris told us they saw 'lots' of whales this morning and we then received a very excited call from Matt to say if the whales breached any closer to the boat he would begin to worry this afternoon!

Mon 6/07/09 Captain James, Shireace, Matt saw three whales off Middle Island this morning and another afternoon of breaching whales this afternoon.

Sun 5/07/09 Captain Michael, Kevin, Brad. Breaching whales off Fingal Lighthouse this morning and another two Humpbacks spotted right off the headlands this afternoon.

Sat 4/07/09 Captain James, Julie and Shireace. Four whales spotted this morning and another two this afternoon. It's hard work whale watching!

Fri 3/07/09 - Skipper Jack & Lisa did a great job of entertaining the passengers today spotting 2 whales breaching off Fingal Island in the morning and a whale and seal in the afternoon. Yes you heard right, both whale and seal were riding the bow waves, a rare and spectacular sight!

Thur 2/07/09 - Skipper Chris and Cath had another great day of whale watching today spotting a whale off Tomaree headland in the morning and another whale in the afternoon. The whale they caught up with in the afternoon was extremely active with a whole heap of tail slapping and breaching.

Tues 30/06/09 Captain Jack, Kevin & Matt. Nine Humpbacks were spotted at the heads chasing each other and coming very close to the boat. One Humpback made an unusual trumpet like noise!

Mon 29/06/09 Captain James, Julie. Three humpbacks spotted off Fingal Bay with more tails slaps, body rolls and breaches.

Sun 28/06/09 Captain Chris, Kevin & Shireace. Whales everywhere. As soon as we got to the heads there were three whales in front of us and two whales behind us, with another whale breaching on the horizon.

Sat 27/06/09 Captain James, Julie & Matt Two pods of two Humpbacks each were spotted off Cabbage Tree, breaching and tail slapping.

Fri 26/06/09 - Captain James and Lisa had one of the most memorable whale watch cruises ever today. Three whales were spotted off Cabbage Tree on the morning cruise but it was the afternoon cruise that passengers and the crew will never forget. Passengers were entertained for a whole hour by a breaching whale. It was estimated that this active giant breached about 50 times and did a whole lot of tail slapping as well. A truly unforgettable day!

Thurs 25/06/09 - When Captain Michael was asked how many whales they saw today he responded with "We've lost count, it was incredible, probably about a dozen or more". The whales were very curious on both the morning and afternoon cruise coming right up to the boat, rolling around and showing off their bellies. The dolphins were also out in full force with large pods of common dolphins riding the bow waves.

Wed 24/06/09 - Captain Jack and Michael caught up with 2 humpback whales on both the morning and afternoon cruise just off Fingal lighthouse.

Tues 23/06/09 - Capt James, Julie. Another day with plenty of whales and a tail slap quite close... plus a beautiful turtle.

Mon 22/06/09 - Capt Michael, Julie saw three pods of whales North of Fingal lighthouse... some breaching.

Sun 21/06 Skipper Jack, Kevin & Chris and passengers enjoyed a dozen or so whales (in 4 pods) on the morning cruise and in the afternoon the boat left a couple of lazy whales to head towards another two humpbacks and were well rewarded with some spectacular simultaneous breaches.

Sat 20/6 Skipper James, Julie and Shireace saw humpbacks on both cruises today. In the morning Moonshadow caught up with a couple of humpbacks off Boondelbah (one breaching) and in the afternoon they saw two large humpbacks north of Fingal, also showing off with a breach. Julie tells us one of them was quite white, but not the mysterious 'Migaloo'.

Fri 19/06/09 - Unfortunately due to unfavourable sea conditions we were unable to head out on our whale watch cruises today. Our fingers are crossed for better seas tomorrow!

Thurs 18/06/09 - Although the sea conditions were not the best, the results made it all worthwhile. On the morning cruise Captain Jack and Kevin managed to tracked down not one, not two but three pods of whales. The pods showed off each with their fair share of tail slapping. The afternoon passengers were even more spoilt witnessing a mother teaching her calf the art of breaching.

Wed 17/06/09 Unfortunately the weather has turned against us and there is no whale watching today.

Tues 16/06/09 Capt. James and Kevin saw 2 Humpbacks this morning and another 2 this afternoon with one breach. All around the Fingal area again.

Mon 15/6 - Captain Jack, Cath, Peter and Jackson sighted 5 humpbacks on the morning cruise, with some nice tail slapping action. In the afternoon, the crew and passengers caught up with 2 humpbacks - one even breaching.

Sun 14/6 Skipper James, Kevin & Shireace enjoyed a superb day of whale watching with near perfect conditions. On the morning cruise passengers saw 3 humpbacks spyhopping and in the afternoon, passengers were firstly enthralled by the common dolphins bowriding with a newborn on the bow of Moonshadow V before catching up with a couple of pods of humpbacks with one of them doing an incredible 'headstand' showing off a couple of metres of the tail out of the water for 5 or 6 seconds.

Sat 13/06/09 Skipper James, Lisa and Shireace had a few pods of humpbacks on the morning cruise. They followed 2 pods and saw some great tail slaps. In the afternoon the cruise met up with a very friendly humpback coming right up to the boat to check the passengers out.

Fri 12/06/09 - Skipper Jack and Cath caught up with a couple of very fast moving whales this morning off Fingal Lighthouse. The whales had slowed down by the afternoon cruise with a mother and calf humpback playing right near the boat. The mother was teaching her calf the art of breaching much to the delight of the passengers on board.

11/06/2009 Unfortunately conditions were not good offshore today and no whale watch cruises departed.

10/06/2009 The morning cruise went out but unfortunately did not see whales and with conditions offshore deteriorating, the afternoon cruise was cancelled.

Tues 9/06/09 Captain Chris and Julie spotted five whale today. Two off Fingal Lighthouse and then another three off Fingal Bay, with breaches again!

Mon 8/6 morning whale watch had the crew (Skipper Jack, Julie and Matt) and passengers mesmorised with a humpback swimming beneath the boat. It then surfaced and breached out of the water right behind the boat - We think he was trying to hitch a ride in the boom net! On the afternoon cruise we caught up with one of a few pods sighted travelling north. Skipper Jack decided to follow a pod of 4 humpbacks just north of Boondelbah Is and they enthralled passengers with pectoral slaps, tail slaps and rolling.

Sun 7/06/09 Captain Jack and Julie spotted 3 humpbacks between Fingal and Boat Harbour on the morning cruise and in the afternoon they caught up with 2 humpbacks with some breaches and tail slaps.

Sat 6/06/09 Captain Jack & Shireace spotted a breaching humpback off Boat Harbour on the morning cruise. In the afternoon passengers were thrilled to meet up with 2 humpbacks off Fingal and were entertained by lots of tail slaps very close to the boat.

Fri 5/6/09 - Captain Jack, Shireace and Matt enjoyed an easy whale spotting cruise with two humpbacks found at Fingal Island. One whale spy hopped, swam along the front of the boat and slapped around on the surface. Plenty more whales were spotted to the south during the morning, and it was no problem finding them in the afternoon. All reports are for a fantastic long weekend of whale watching.

Thur 4/06/09 - Cpt Jack & Cath had a great day out on the water with the morning bringing one very active breaching humpback whale, a minke whale and a huge pod of playful dolphins. The action was just as good in the afternooon with 2 breaching humpback whales and plenty of tail slapping.

Wed 3/06/09 Captain Michael & Kevin spotted three Humpbacks off Fingal Bay this morning and another two in the same area this afternoon.

Tues 1/06/09 - Captain Chris, Julie. 3 Humpbacks spotted and we were lucky enough to have two of them breaching in unison!

Sun 31/5/09 – Cpt. James, Shireace, Matt. AM 1+1 humpbacks at Fingal Id. Swimming close to boat, pair where head-slapping on the surface, possibly communicating to each other. PM 1+1+2 humpbacks at Fingal Id. First whale was lost; next two groups swam alongside boat, one whale splashing on surface

Sat 30/5/09 – Cpt. Chris, Julie, Matt. 2 Humpbacks at Fingal. PM 1 + 1 Humpbacks at Fingal

Wed 27/5/09 – Cpt. Mick, Cath, Kevin, Matt. WW launch 2 humpbacks north of Boat Harbour. PM 1 humpback at Rocky Point

Tue 26/5/09 – Cpt. James, Shireace, Matt. AM 1 humpback at Boulder Bay tail slap and rolling on surface. PM No Whales

Tue 19/5/09 – Cpt. Mick, Cath, Matt. AM no Cruz. PM No Whales

Mon 18/5/09 – Cpt. Chris, Cath. AM no Cruz. PM No Whales

Sun 17/5/09 – Cpt. Jack, Kevin, Matt. AM 2 humpbacks at Rocky. PM No Whales

Sat 16/5/09 – Cpt. James, Julie, Matt. AM No Whales. PM 2 Humpbacks breaching and tail slapping.

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