It started with a simple message, this is the year to do something small for something huge, and now 17 years later - the Whitsundays region has some of the best protection in the world for migrating humpback whales.
Sightings of unusual humpback whale behaviour began to mount in 2009 as tourism operators in the Whitsundays were reporting observations of 'fluking' to the Reef Authority's Eye on the Reef network. Perplexed about what they were seeing, they reached out to scientists to try and understand the behaviour.
What followed was a major research effort that ultimately led to the discovery of a globally important whale calving area in the Whitsundays.
Master Reef Guides Program Manager Crystal Lacey said the operators were reporting sightings of a behaviour known as 'fluking', where whales float upside down, with their tails raised above the water's surface.
"It was an unusual behaviour they had never seen before. Not even the whale scientists knew what it meant at the time. So that uncertainty sparked a major research effort, which combined citizen science through the tourism operators' observations, and scientific research.
"It was one of the region's largest citizen science efforts, recording whale sightings and calves through Eye on the Reef. Just in that one year, there were 780 adults and 153 calves sighted in the Whitsundays."
While tourism operators counted whales and calves, scientists mapped the seafloor, monitored water temperatures, tracked whales by satellite and surveyed the region from the air. Together, they gathered evidence that revealed the Whitsundays as one of the Great Barrier Reef's most important humpback whale calving areas.
"The fluking the operators observed was actually a breeding behaviour.
"We discovered the Whitsundays provides the sheltered, warm and shallow waters humpback whales need to give birth and raise newborn calves."
The breakthrough solved one of the biggest mysteries surrounding humpback whales on the Great Barrier Reef - where they give birth. The discovery subsequently led to the establishment of the Whitsundays Whale Protection Area, where cetaceans are given higher levels of protection than in any other area of the Marine Park.
The Whale Protection Area strengthens the region's plan of management by setting rules for how people interact with whales. These include minimum approach distances for vessels and aircraft, and a ban on swimming with whales. Breaches of these regulations are enforceable by law.
As well as helping establish the Whale Protection Area, tourism operators played a major role in the region achieving a Whale Heritage Area designation in 2024. Together with Whitsunday community members, tourism operators nominated the region to become recognised as a Whale Heritage Area , making it the only place in the world where a Whale Heritage Area occurs inside a UNESCO World Heritage Area.
Crystal said the designation, awarded by the World Cetacean Alliance , recognises destinations that protect whales through responsible tourism, community education and conservation.
"Because of the tourism industry's strong partnerships with management agencies and Traditional Owners in the Whitsundays, the region was able to satisfy the requirements to become a Whale Heritage Area status. It was a really exciting time to be recognized among the world's best.
"Tourism operators, community members and volunteers continue to show why the Whitsundays is one of the world's best-managed whale habitats.
"Operators are working alongside Traditional Owners to help visitors experience whales responsibly. They are also active participants in industry briefing sessions and knowledge sharing ahead of each whale season."
Crystal said visitors can help keep whales safe in the Marine Park by keeping a safe distance from whales and following whale watching rules.
"It's important that visitors to the Great Barrier Reef are responsible around whales this season, and that includes maintaining respectful distances and minimising disturbances to reduce the risk of unsafe interactions with whales."
Marine Park regulations include:
- Maintain a minimum distance of 100 metres from whales in general Marine Park waters.
- A 300-metre exclusion zone applies around whale calves and within the Whitsunday Whale Protection Area.
- Jet skis must remain at least 300 metres away from whales.
- Do not swim towards or disturb whales.
- No aircraft and drones are allowed below 1000ft.
Report whale sightings via our Eye on the Reef network. To report sick, injured, stranded or dead whales contact the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation using the free QWildlife app , or call 1300 130 372 (press option 1).
The Reef Authority has produced a video explaining the whale protection rules here .
Fast facts
- Female humpback whales typically begin breeding from 5-10 years old and do not have a defined menopause or breeding retirement.
- Female humpback whales have a gestational period of 11-12 months and give birth once every 2-3 years to a single live calf, fluke (tail) first.
- The mother's milk is the consistency of toothpaste, and the mother can produce up to 600L per day.
- Humpback whales mate face to face, locking into a 'hug' with their 5m long flippers.
- In 2025, 408,000 domestic overnight visitors and 230,000 domestic day-trippers went whale watching in Queensland, contributing almost $670 million to Queensland's economy. Australia's whale watching industry also attracted 310,000 international visitors in 2025.
