Hervey Bay
World's first Whale Heritage Site. Humpbacks stop 2 weeks during 10,000km migration. $40M whale watching industry. Each whale worth $97,000 to local economy. Gateway to K'gari (Fraser Island).
Hervey Bay became the first Whale Heritage Site on earth because humpbacks chose to stop here. The whales break their 10,000-kilometre migration to spend up to two weeks in the sheltered waters between Hervey Bay and K'gari (Fraser Island). Thirty years of scientific study documented the behaviour; the World Cetacean Alliance certified the result.
The economics follow the whales. Whale watching injects $40 million annually into the Fraser Coast economy. Research estimated each humpback whale is worth A$97,000 to Hervey Bay. The 2025 season (July-October) brought an estimated 40,000 whales along the 'humpback highway,' attracting over 127,000 domestic visitors. Whale and dolphin watching grew 35.9% year-over-year across Queensland.
The 2025 season was quieter than expected—a reminder that wildlife tourism depends on animals that don't read business plans. For small businesses, the whale season is the busiest and most profitable time; a soft year matters.
Hervey Bay also serves as the gateway to K'gari (Fraser Island), the world's largest sand island and a World Heritage Site. The protected waters of the Great Sandy Strait enable both whale watching and island access.
Humpback populations, once decimated by whaling, are recovering at approximately 11% annually. The species that nearly disappeared now supports an industry.
By 2026, Hervey Bay tests whether whale watching can remain sustainable as populations grow and climate shifts migration patterns.