The whale watching season has started on Queensland’s Gold Coast but if you think it might be too early to see whales then think again. It was the second day of the season and unusually a bit bumpy – twice before doing whale watching tours here from Surfers Paradise the sea had been calm. It was worth the rock and roll on the way out when we came upon a ‘competition pod’ – a group of up to ten humpback whales that stayed close to the surface and circled near the boat. The males, identified by the scars and scratches on their backs from previous battles, were vying to be the chosen suitor for the female humpback who seemed more interested in avoiding all of them.

Photo: The Competition Pod of Whales in front of Surfers Paradise

This phenomenon of a competition pod is rarely seen – perhaps once or twice in a season confirmed the captain. As the males nudged their fellow humpbacks to show who is the strongest they necessarily stayed close to the surface, tracking back and forth and circling in the vicinity of the boat, all before a backdrop of Surfers Paradise’s skyline in the near distance. A special moment on the annual migration of the humpback whales.

The whale watching season extends from early June to early November as the humpbacks head north from their Antarctic feeding grounds to mate in the warmer waters off Queensland while the pregnant females from last season give birth in the seas around the Whitsundays before they return with their newborns south for the summer.

If you’re planning a holiday or short break on the Gold Coast then we can help find you the right accommodation at https://www.visitqueensland.com.au/gold-coast-accommodation and a host of great Gold Coast activities and tours at https://www.visitqueensland.com.au/gold-coast-tours.