A Maroochydore windsurfer has relived the ‘incredible’ experience of being joined by breaching whales near Point Cartwright.
Josh Green’s rare encounter with a mother and calf was captured by Palmwoods photographer Jeff Addison, who was on shore and peering out to sea, armed with his camera and an 800mm lens.
The sequence of photos is being shared for the first time by Sunshine Coast News.
Josh has seen all manner of marine life during decades of windsurfing, both here and his homeland Canada, but it’s the first time he has had such a close encounter with two whales, as they nonchalantly made the trek south on the return part of their annual migration.
“I was just heading back downwind, surfing the swell and following a catamaran back down, which was another 500m closer to the point than me, with no one else around, and I heard this big, ‘Whack’, looked around and saw the splash,” Josh said of the unexpected experience.
“It didn’t take long before it came up again – it wasn’t a baby that was with it, but probably a mother and, you know, a teenager or something.
“And they were just both breaching like that, sort of half out, slapping back down, one after the other, and moving really slowly.
“I didn’t want to sail too much closer, so I just stopped and watched for a while and was pretty mesmerised, obviously, being that close.
“I was just in awe of their size, and their majesty. They’re just amazing creatures. It was great to be out there and see that.
“I think, the first time when it breeched and I turned around, I was probably 100m from it, and then it just slowly started moving further away … it was still within 100m to 150m for a few more breaches, with its calf.
“With the ocean and the swell, and everything that I enjoy about windsurfing out there, there’s just so many times that I see nature – dolphins or turtles or something – and this is the first time that I was really close to any whales, so it was a particularly special occasion for sure.”
Mr Addison, who has since made contact with Josh, was equally fascinated by the encounter, but chuffed to have been at the ready with his camera. The entire spectacle he captured was over in a matter of five seconds.
“It was great to capture the moment and share it,” Mr Addison said.
“To witness the calves and mother’s splashing tail flukes and flippers. A spout of water betraying their initial presence. They are awesome mammals. It’s almost a once in a lifetime event.”
Josh had ventured to the open ocean to train for several upcoming windsurfing events.
“The world championships are coming to Perth next year and the Nationals are at Lake Cootharaba in January, so that’s the big one for me that I’m ramping up towards,” he explained.
“It’s definitely one of my favourite spots, to get out around Point Cartwright, out into the big swells, and I was on my own … it’s kind of an advanced level of windsurfing I guess … out there, it’s a little tricky, but I really love it, it just makes a lot more interesting and exciting.”
The whale encounter is not the first time Josh has interacted with some inquisitive and mischievous marine life.
“When I was younger, windsurfing in Canada – obviously in the ocean there there’s plenty of sea life as well – I had a fairly close encounter with an orca, and a really close encounter with a seal that just shot up, straight out of the water and almost touched me on the nose as I was peering down into the water … and we kind of scared each other,” he said with a laugh.
“I’ve had a scary incident … when I was out near Old Woman Island, where a dark shape whizzed past under my board, and I thought it was a shark and it came up in front of me and was dancing around – it was a dolphin.
“And it followed me for quite some time, just playing, blasting around. That was an amazing experience as well that I’ll never forget.”
But for now, his latest marine encounter is front of his mind.
“I see turtles around the island and around Point Cartwright … I have seen whales but much further out, they’ve never been anywhere near me, so it was very close, so I certainly felt small,” he said.
“It’s the icing on the cake really – I love windsurfing, but to be out there, in the ocean, with animals and fish around me, it’s an incredible feeling for sure, it’s very exciting.”
Caloundra encounter
Meantime, Paul Vidler has shared drone video of whale activity between Shelly Beach and Caloundra a couple of weeks ago.
The Department of Environment and Science notes the current population of the Eastern Australian humpback is increasing by about 10 per cent each year, and is close to its pre-hunting estimates of approximately 40,000 animals.
Between September and October, humpback whales travel south along the east coast of Australia. During this time, Queenslanders can expect to see a significant number of adult whales and their new calves in our coastal waters.
Safe distancing rules are in place to prevent boats from getting too close to whales, dolphins and other marine animals. A $718 fine and other penalties may apply if these distances are breached.
For information about safe distances for boaties, fishers and jet ski-users, visit the Department of Environment and Science information page.
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