Whales watching attracted close to 30,000 people to Port Stephens in 2017
Whales give Port porpoise during winter | photos, video
SPLASH: A humpback whale off Port Stephens on June 8. More than 30,000 whales are expected to migrate past Port Stephens this season. Picture: Lisa Skelton
SPLASH: A humpback whale off Port Stephens on June 8. More than 30,000 whales are expected to migrate past Port Stephens this season. Picture: Lisa Skelton
SPLASH: A humpback whale off Port Stephens on June 8. More than 30,000 whales are expected to migrate past Port Stephens this season. Picture: Lisa Skelton
A whale tail pokes out of the water off Port Stephens as the first official whale watching cruise for the 2018 season went out on Wednesday, June 6. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Four whales were sighted in the Port's waters on Wednesday as the 2018 whale watching season was officially launched. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Eileen Gilliland, CEO of Destination Port Stephens, launching the 2018 whale watching season at Broughtons at the Bay, Nelson Bay on Wednesday, June 6. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
Councillor Sarah Smith speaking during the launch of the 2018 whale watching season at Broughtons at the Bay, Nelson Bay on Wednesday, June 6. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
Uncle John Ridgeway, Worimi elder, performs the welcome to country at the launch of the 2018 whale watching season at Broughtons at the Bay, Nelson Bay on Wednesday, June 6. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
Imagine Cruises manager Frank Future speaking during the launch of the 2018 whale watching season at Broughtons at the Bay, Nelson Bay on Wednesday, June 6. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
Frank Future from Imagine Cruises and Mel Turner from Moonshadow-TQC at the launch of the 2018 whale watching season at Broughtons at the Bay, Nelson Bay on Wednesday, June 6. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
Imagine Cruises skipper Frank Future gives a safety briefing before taking the first official whale watching cruise out on Wednesday. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
Imagine Cruises skipper Frank Future navigating the waters on Wednesday, in search of whales. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
In search of whales in Port Stephens on Wednesday. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
In search of whales in Port Stephens on Wednesday - a dolphin pod was spotted in the Bay. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
In search of whales in Port Stephens on Wednesday. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
In search of whales in Port Stephens on Wednesday. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
In search of whales in Port Stephens on Wednesday. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
In search of whales in Port Stephens on Wednesday. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
In search of whales in Port Stephens on Wednesday. Picture: Ellie-Marie Watts
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Whales spotted in Port Stephens on Wednesday, during the official launch of the 2018 season. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Picture: Simon McCarthy
A whale spotted on May 23. Picture: Lisa Skelton/Imagine Cruises
A whale spotted on May 23. Picture: Lisa Skelton/Imagine Cruises
What is believed to be the first whale spotted for 2018 - on May 4. Picture: Lisa Skelton
What is believed to be the first whale spotted for 2018 - on May 4. Picture: Lisa Skelton
What is believed to be the first whale spotted for 2018 - on May 4. Picture: Leanne Maffesoni
RISING HIGH: The power of the mammals were on show before the whale season's official launch. Picture: Peter Lorimer
MAKING A SPLASH: A whale sends a huge splash as it crashes back into the water near Port Stephens in May. Picture: Peter Lorimer
BREATHTAKING: A whale leaps out of the water. Picture: Peter Lorimer
SAYING HELLO: A humpback whale pops out of the sea. Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Peter Lorimer
Picture: Leanne Maffesoni
Picture: Leanne Maffesoni
Picture: Leanne Maffesoni
Picture: Leanne Maffesoni
Picture: Leanne Maffesoni
Picture: Leanne Maffesoni
Picture: Leanne Maffesoni
Whale watching has embedded itself as a key winter attraction in Port Stephens drawing close to 30,000 people to the region last year for guided tours and countless more to the coastline to see the creatures.
At the launch of the whale watching season in Nelson Bay on June 6, Destination Port Stephens chief executive Eileen Gilliland said the migration is a “key experience” for attracting visitors to the region.
“As a prime location on the NSW coast to see these majestic creatures in action the whale season in Port Stephens is a very important driver of visitation, particularly in the cooler months, to our region,” she said.
“The domestic market is a key priority market. They’re coming for the short breaks, the school holidays. The international market is a growing.”
Moonshadow-TQC welcomed 18,500 people on whale watching cruises last year and Imagine Cruises about 10,000.
The direct impact the annual whale migration has on the Port’s economy is not known due to a lack of data.
However, whale watchers are believed to make up a significant portion of the 1.5 million people that visited Port Stephens in the year to September 2017 who spent $534 million.
Imagine Cruises manager Frank Future said the rise in whale watching in the past 20 years had made Port Stephens a year-round tourist destination.
“When I started in tourism in 1995 the whale population was less than 300 whales and it wasn’t really an industry,” he said.
“Now thanks to the whales Port Stephens is a year-round tourism economy. Thank god for the whales.”
To capitalise on whale watching visitation, Moonshadow-TQC is working with Port Stephens accommodation houses and holiday parks to create stay packages.
“Winter in Nelson Bay without the whales would be a pretty dim place,” Mel Turner, sales and special events coordinator for Moonshadow-TQC, said. “It is important that we continue to drive this wonderful attraction.
“We are working very closely with accommodation houses of all styles and packaging up the perfect winter escape to Port Stephens to enjoy the whales, local accommodation, food and beverage outlets.”
As part of its marketing, Destination Port Stephens showcases what makes the region unique to whale watching.
“You're in a spectacular destination where you can whale watch and because they migrate closer into Port Stephens, it doesn't take as long to get out there,” Ms Gilliland said.
“It's a shorter trip than when you go to other destinations. That's a unique selling point.”
The Port’s whale watching season runs from mid-May to mid-November.