'Best in world' humpback watching
EVERYONE on the Fraser Coast knows Hervey Bay is the best place in the world to watch whales, and now the rest of the world knows too.
The travel website CNNGo has listed Hervey Bay as the number one spot for watching humpback whales.
The report goes through whale watching sites all over the world, to show the best places for specific breeds of whales, such as humpbacks, orcas or blue whales.
It states whales stay to mate and give birth in the Bay, with guaranteed sightings from mid-July to the end of October, making it the place to go.
Whale watching operator Jill Perry agreed Hervey Bay's unique features made it number one.
Having the calm seas and the birthing place of whale calves gave visitors an inimitable experience.
"Of course we knew it all along, but someone else has to say it," Ms Perry said.
"It's fabulous news."
The CCN Go report was shared on Facebook with the 279,800 fans of the page, and 774 people from all over the world "Liked" the report within 24 hours.
Tourism Fraser Coast general manager Pip Close said to be rated by CNNGo as the best whale watching site in the world for humpbacks was a terrific honour.
"To be given the recognition by such a respected authority on world travel speaks volumes for our product in Hervey Bay," Ms Close said.
"It reinforces what we have known all along, that the protected waters of Hervey Bay provide the kind of up-close-and-personal humpback encounters that can't be matched anywhere in the world."
Best whale watching spots by breed
- Beluga whales - Cunningham Inlet, Canada
- Blue whales - The Azores
- Grey whales - Baja California
- Humpback whales - Hervey Bay, Australia
- Minke whales - Antarctic Peninsula
- Narwhals - Nunavut, Canada
- Orcas - San Juan Islands, USA
- Pilot whales - Strait of Gibraltar, Spain
- Southern right whales - Hermanus, Sth Africa
- Sperm whales - Kaikoura, New Zealand
- Whale sharks - Cancun, Mexico
