A surf skier has described the moment a humpback whale swam so close it could have scraped its barnacles off, as experts suspect the creatures are exploring more along the Queensland coast.
Kevin Hill lives in Bargara, about 4.5 hours drive north of Brisbane, where the photographer and nature enthusiast has had two close encounters with whales in recent weeks.
The first happened at the start of June, with Mr Hill capturing the moment on camera as one whale breached in front, and another swam within centimetres of his ski.
"I had got him as he flew up, he was about 50 metres away, close enough, you know, to hear the slap as it hit [the water]," Mr Hill explained.
"As I was doing so one of the other whales came across in front of me, and just about scraped its barnacles on the front of my ski."
In the second close encounter this week, he said he was followed by a humpback whale as he paddled in his ski off Bargara Headlands.
"What I found is that they're very inquisitive. They know you're there and they just come around and want to have a look," he said.
"I don't feel any fear with them. It's just an amazing experience."
An estimated 40,000 humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to breeding grounds in the Whitsundays between mid-June and October each year.
Whale season starts early
Marine biologist Wally Franklin said the sightings were likely of juvenile whales.
"It's the early part of the migration and you're getting the younger whales up the east coast up past Fraser Island and into the reef area," he said.
Bundaberg is not as well known for whale spotting as places such as Hervey Bay or the Gold Coast, but an increase in the humpback whale population could be driving them to explore outside their usual waters.
"Over recent years with the increase in the population, they have been spreading out during this northern part of the migration," Mr Franklin said.
"That's reflective of the fact that you're getting the whales coming in earlier."
Mr Hill agreed they were becoming a more common sight off Bundaberg.
"Once they give birth further up north and start coming back into Hervey Bay, we're going to have a treat."
