Minke Whales have returned to Cairns!

Minke Whales have returned to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef again this year!

The weather is now cooler, sitting near 24 degrees Celsius during the day and 16 degrees Celsius at night. Water temperatures have dropped to 24 degrees.

With the drop in Water temperature scientist have reason to believe this is what attracts the Dwarf Minke Whales close to the Ribbon Reefs, located to the North of Cairns.

Dwarf Minke Whale Interactions from Cairns.

Minke Whale mother and calf.

Dwarf Minke Whale on Ribbon Reefs from Cairns

It’s been a fantastic start to the Whale season with large pods of Minke Whales interacting with scuba divers on the Ribbon Reefs. Liveaboard dive boat operator Ocean Quests 4-Day Minke Whale Expedition returned this week with fantastic footage of up to 17 Whales.

Snorkelers and Divers were blest to have World renowned Marine Biologist Dr Alastair Birtles on board. Delivering a Minke Whale presentation every night onboard the boat!

With cooler water temperatures diving conditions have been a little windy at around 18 knots South Easterly. This is normal for JUNE / JULY / AUGUST and SEPTEMBER. The winter months are always a little windier but the visibility usually increases to 20+ meters. This is great for diving those deep outer reef walls.

So great visibility coupled with the chance to watch Dwarf Minke Whales, divers are spoilt for this time of the year.

[su_note note_color=”#d2edfa”]The best time of the year to encounter Minke Whales is now during the months of JUNE and JULY. Many 4-day liveaboard expeditions book out a few months in advance for these Whale Encounters. If you are interested or would like to find out more get in touch with our dive team and we will see if there are any spaces available – reservations@cairnsdiveadventures.com | PH +61 7 40411638.[/su_note]