Swimming with whales... If you nerd out on biodiversity and conservation laws, you’ll be wondering how such an adventure came about when it’s illegal to swim with whales in Australian waters. The answer to that is a family-owned business that has the whole ethical, eco-friendly, whale-friendly tourism experience down-pat – they manage the whole thing in a way that gives them access to a special permit.
Partners Dylan and Lara run Woebegone Freedive – a small charter boat tour that runs out of Jervis Bay in NSW. Depending on the time of year, you can swim with seals, dolphins and sharks, but our pick of the lot is their humpback whale adventures.
From May to November, whales can be spotted all up and down Australia’s east coast as they migrate between Antarctica’s colder waters for breeding and Queensland’s warmer waters for feeding. While that does include Sydney-local waters from Cronulla all the way up to the Northern Beaches, Jervis Bay in the Shoalhaven region is a real whale-spotting hub.
These waters, and the big blue passersby, can be gazed upon from the Bannisters by the Sea pool deck. Every hotel room has a pair of binoculars for whale-spotting, but to take it to the next level, Bannisters has teamed up with Woebegone this whale season for a pretty unforgettable experience as far as eco-tourism goes. It's called the Mollymook Migration package, and it includes two nights' accommodation, breakfast, a two-course dinner at Rick Stein at Bannisters (iconic) and, of course, the Woebegone whale tour.
Unlike those big vessels that take boatloads (quite literally) of tourists out and race in the direction of a whale as soon as it’s spotted on the horizon, Woebegone has a different approach. The key message of the day is: you might swim with whales, you might not, but it will be an adventure nonetheless. That way, the tourists are happy, the whales are happy –everyone is happy.
Part of the reason Woebegone has a permit that allows them to host groups that can swim with the whales is that their boat never goes up to them. Instead, they have a look at the direction they’re swimming in and park the boat – motors off – to see if the whales come close. It's well worth trying your luck.