The whales have arrived in the Whitsunday islands on their annual migration journey north, with incredible footage from Friday 8 July, showing a playful young male humpback whale breaching near a Whitsunday Jetski Tour group.

The close encounter occurred during a Jetski tour sailing between Airlie Beach and Daydream Island in the Whitsundays, giving both guests and guides an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The young male humpback was spotted by the tour group a kilometre away, before the guides shut down the Jetski engines so the group could witness the whale passing by in the distance.

However, before long the whale swam over to say hello by waving its fin in the air and breaching, before diving underneath the group and surfacing metres from the jetskis.

Tour guide Ian Wilson has been working on the water in the Whitsundays for six years, and has never experienced such a close encounter despite having worked in many locations around the world with whale populations.

“We had our tour group all quite close together and the whale moved from ski to ski for over an hour giving us a show,” said Mr Wilson.

“At all times I was aware of the protection of these amazing creatures, and respectful of the rules. It's fantastic that they're so inquisitive and trusting of us, and treating these encounters carefully will surely see many more wonderful interactions during the season.”

“I've never experienced anything like this encounter before; it was magical and will go down as one of the highlights of my life on the water!”

Humpback whales visit the Whitsundays every year on the annual migration north during the winter months, and are commonly sighted between June and September.

The calm and protected waters of the Whitsunday Islands are also where many whales choose to give birth to their calves during their long journey.

At the heart of the Great Barrier Reef on Queensland's coast, the Whitsundays is made up of 74 island wonders in the warm waters of the Coral Sea.

The Whitsundays is the perfect place to swim and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, charter a boat and cruise the islands, or witness the incredible diversity of marine life including turtles, whales, dolphins and tropical fish.

To view the remarkable footage go to the Visit Whitsundays Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WhitsundaysQLD/

To find out more about Whitsunday Jetski Tours, visit the website at www.jetskitour.com.au 

And while whales can be spotted anytime on the water in the Whitsunday Islands, Ocean Dynamics operates a whale watching tour with daily departures from Airlie Beach. Find out more here www.oceandynamics.com.au/whales-whitsundays

To find out more about the Whitsundays and to book your next tropical escape, visit Tourism Whitsundays website here www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au