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Category: Hervey Bay

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Whale Facts

The first spotter plane used to guide the whale watch vessels to the whales dropped rolls of toilet paper out of its windows as a marker.

Hervey Bay has been an important destination for the humpback whales for millions of years as the last sheltered area before returning to the Americas.

The shape of the Bay creates a natural catchment area for the whales. Each year the Southern Ocean humpback whales travel up to 10,000 kilometewrs from feeding grounds in the Antartica to breed and give birth in the warmer waters of Australia and the South Pacific Islands. In late July they begin their migration back to Antartica. Researchers believe up to half of the 10,000 migrating whales call into Hervey Bay from July to early November annually.

These majestic creatures were once hunted to the brink of extinction. It is estimated that less than 100 remained when commercial whaling was banned in 1986. Despite the ban, over 25,000 whales have been killed over the past 20 years, many under Japan's 'scientific' whaling program.

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Category: Hervey Bay

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Fishing on Urangan Pier One of the most popular land-based fishing locations in Hervey Bay, the Urangan Pier has been fully restored. Land-based anglers can now fish waters that were once the sole domain of boat owners.