Whale season kicks off with teaser

A group of surfers were treated to a show at Point Piquet recently when a group of humpback whales visited the bay.

Dunsborough resident Rachel Woods was watching her son surfing, when she noticed at least three whales breaching at different times.

“The surf was small that day, but not all was lost when we saw the whales,” she said.

Naturaliste Charters owner Paul Cross said it was still a little early for the Geographe Bay season, but he was expecting a good one after a 100 per cent success rate in Augusta.

The peak of the season is expected to start around mid-September.

Mr Cross said the whales’ behaviour changed every year with weather patterns, determining how close they travelled to shore.

He also reported growing numbers of blue whale sightings, around 50 last season.

Geographe Bay Tourism Association chief executive Simon Taylor said whale watching continued to be a huge drawcard for the region with both Visitor Centres fielding a large volume of enquiries.

“Importantly these visitors are coming to our region in our shoulder season so we see this as a very important market to continue to grow,” he said.