Guests travelling aboard Quicksilver's luxury dive and snorkel vessel Silversonic may be in for an extra treat.
Silversonic has one of the few permits available from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority that allows our guests to swim with dwarf minke whales if encountered – a truly unforgettable experience. From our experience, July to September is the peak season to encounter the inquisitive minkes as they frequent the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs where Silversonic visits. They are however common in our waters between the months of March and October. The voluntary approach to the vessel and swimmers by minke whales creates a unique in-water experience. Abiding by strict codes of practice, a maximum of two surface ropes will be placed in the water with swimmers then positioned 3-4 metres apart for a magical, and safe encounter. The whales actually control the encounter in that they decide how close they interact and swim with us!
The Dwarf Minke Whale Tourism Monitoring Program was a world first fully permitted swimming-with-whales program and is conducted in partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, researchers and the tourism industry. Silversonic and the Quicksilver Group pro-actively contribute to this program.
About the Minke Whale
The minke whale is the smallest baleen whale, identified by about 50-70 throat grooves. They have a characteristic white band on each flipper, contrasting with its very dark grey top color. They have two blowholes, like all baleen whales. The largest dwarf minke whale that was accurately measured was 7.8 m long with adults weighing 5-6 tonnes.
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