Marine Life Interaction

ANIMAL INTERACTIVE PROGRAMS

Interacting with marine animals in a safe and controlled environment is an exhilarating first-time experience when done under the expert guidance of marine animal trainers at Queensland's aquariums and marine theme parks.

You can feed sharks, frolic with seals, dive with dolphins or become an animal trainer for the day. And for the brave - try scuba diving with sharks, obviously in carefully controlled conditions.

Children are well catered for with interpretive adventure tours of tidal pools. These displays have been carefully re-created to replicate unique ocean environments.

Many aquariums have 'touch pools' or 'touch tanks' where you can gently handle some of the friendlier sea creatures like starfish, sea urchins or sea cucumbers (beche-de-mer), while marine biologists provide educational commentary.

IN THE WILD

Coral Spawning
Coral spawning or reproduction is a visual spectacular colloquially know as "sex on the reef". Spawning sees egg-engorged corals across the reefs simultaneously release masses of pretty pink eggs and sperm into dark inky evening seas over several nights following the full moon in October or November.

It usually occurs with the lunar month and dates vary, usually 3 - 4 days after the full moon. Special liveaboard dive trips are available to certified divers who are competent night divers and whose schedule allows them to wait for the event.

Dolphin Feeding
Dolphin feeding in the wild is a rare and privileged activity that is strictly monitored and supervised. Southern Queensland is fortunate to have two of the three Australian destinations where dolphins can be hand fed from the beach.

Pacific humpback dolphins can be fed at Tin Can Bay while bottle-nosed dolphins are fed and researched at Moreton Island. Weather, tidal conditions and dolphin hunger limit the number of people able to participate.

Minke Whale Swim Programs
Minke whales are commonly seen along the Ribbon Reefs north of Cairns between May and August. In June and July there are Minke Whale Expeditions which allow you to snorkel with these very curious whales. These research-based trips have reported seeing up to 28 of these graceful mammals in one pod and the whales have been known to remain with the boats for up to 10 hours. Trips are usually 3 or 4 nights.

Shark Feeding
Few underwater experiences are as heart-starting as diving with a school of sharks on their home turf. The Coral Sea is well known for its sharks. At North Horn on Osprey Reef, the currents meet, bringing together large schools of tuna, barracuda and sharks - white tips, grey and silver tip whalers, leopard sharks, thresher sharks and schooling hammerheads. Allow a few nights to try this adventure.

Turtle Nesting and Hatching
Many varieties of turtles such as the loggerhead, green, leatherback and flatback nest from October to March each year along the Queensland coast from Bundaberg in the south to the Cape in the tropical north as well on the islands of the Southern Great Barrier Reef (Heron, Wilson, Lady Elliot, Lady Musgrave).

The Turtle Nesting and Hatching season is an amazing experience and visitors to Queensland will find opportunities to witness these nocturnal events in a controlled environment at a number of island and mainland locations.

Whale Watching
Humpback whales travel along the Queensland coast from late July to early November each year on their southern migration to Antarctica. They are best seen in the shallow coastal waters of the Great Barrier Reef, in Tropical North Queensland and the Whitsundays, and in Southern Queensland in Hervey Bay and Moreton Bay.

Hervey Bay is used as a resting ground by the whales on their long journey south and is recognised as the Whale Watching capital of Australia. A number of marine tour operators conduct full and half-day whale watching tours in these areas.