Hervey Bay Whale Festival 2023 – bigger and brighter than ever!
Honouring Hervey Bay's Humpbacks
Fraser Coast’s visiting humpbacks whales are on their way!
It’s just weeks away from the 2023 Whale Watching season and Fraser Coast tourism and Events is ready to celebrate! Each year from July to October thousands of humpbacks journey into Hervey Bay’s sheltered waters where they stop and play for up to two weeks at a time, taking a well- earned break on their southern migration.
To honour these amazing mammals and welcome them back to our shores, Fraser Coast Tourism and Events presents the 2023 Hervey Bay Whale Festival.
“This year, we reached out to the community on social media to gather valuable feedback to help create a fun filled program for the 2023 event. As a result, we have changed some site locations and broken the festival into individual events and precincts, offering different opportunities to event attendees, with the main collaboration of the Whale Festival being held from Friday August 4 to Sunday August 6.” said Events Manager Chelsea Larner Simpson.
Showcasing much loved and traditional elements of the yearly festival, this year’s event celebrates the exciting return of The Blessing of the Fleet! On hiatus last year, the Blessing returns to Hervey Bay’s Marina on Saturday July 15 to coincide with the official launch of the Hervey Bay Whale season.
A family fun ‘Marina Party’, The Blessing event showcases Hervey Bay’s whale watching fleet in the hub of Fraser Coast’s Marine Mecca. Festival goers can enjoy a range of fun-filled activities suitable for all ages, from food stalls to live music, a live jet-pack performance and concluding with the traditional procession of the Whale Fleet to celebrate the humpbacks' return.
“Fraser Coast Tourism and Events is so pleased to bring the Blessing of the Fleet back to the Fraser Coast! The concept of a Blessing is a centuries old tradition, believed to have originated in Mediterranean fishing communities and the idea is to ensure a safe and prosperous season for all vessels, and we certainly wish our local tourism operators a safe and prosperous year“ said Events Manager Chelsea Larner Simpson.
On Thursday August 3, festival goers can join us for a night of personal tales hosted by UniSC with the academic favourite "Creating Waves” event. Meet Hervey Bay and International researchers and learn about recent humpback whale discoveries as they migrate past our shores. Traditional Butchulla owners explain the importance of the whales and how Whale Song lines connect First Nations along the entire East Coast of Australia. Learn how citizen scientists have contributed to the “Happy Whale” recognition system, which is now extending throughout oceans of the world, sending feedback about whales who have visited our shores.
On Friday August 4 at Urangan’s Pier Park from 4pm to 8pm, FCTE introduces "The Twilight Swing", a new addition to the festival this year. An evening of dance and song with local headlining act the “The Rock n Roll Boys” guests are encouraged to come on down and enjoy the live music under the stars and perhaps try their foot at a quick swing dance.
The Whale Festival’s main event, The Community Parade and Family Carnival will be held on Saturday August 5 at 2 separate locations.
The “City Park Discovery Pod” will be held at City Park from 2pm to 5.30pm on the Saturday, with live music, sport competitions, art activations and educational activities where visitors can discover the wonders of the marine world by getting up close to ocean life through touch tanks, take part in community competitions, and make their own lantern in preparation for the “Parade of Lights”.
“The parade is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your creativity and contribute to a display of lanterns that will light up Main Street. The adjustment of the Parade route from City Park to Seafront Oval, has increased the accessibility to participation in the parade for individuals and families.” said Ms. Larner Simpson.
The “Parade of Lights” will be led by local Butchulla people, who have been busy creating an illuminated display of marine life including Milbi (Turtle), Yulu (Dolphin), and Yuwangkan (Dugon). This project has been supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
From 5pm to 8.30pm also on the Saturday the "Funtime Amusement Seafront Spectacular” will be held at Seafront Oval in Pialba. The community events showcase live music, family entertainment, amusement rides and end with sponsored fireworks.
On Sunday August 6 FCTE is concluding the weekend by embracing the magic of Hervey Bay’s calm waters with the iconic ‘Paddle out for the Whales”. An ocean gathering of paddleboards, kayaks and surfboards followed by music and entertainment. participants observe a minute of silence to recognize the importance of the ocean and its marine life including our majestic humpbacks whales to the world. It’s hoped, together, we can all make a positive impact to ensure whales continue to thrive for generations to come.
For more information on the 2023 Hervey Bay Whale Festival follow @frasercoastevents on Facebook and Instagram and visit the website: https://herveybaywhalefestival.com.au/
The Hervey Bay Whale Festival is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
KEY INFORMATION:
SATURDAY JULY 15
Blessing of the Fleet will be held at the Hervey Bay Marina on July 15, from 4pm to 8pm
THURSDAY AUGUST 3
Creating Waves will take place at the Main Lecture Hall (Building B) at the Fraser Coast campus of UniSC Fraser Coast Campus on Thursday August 3, from 6pm to 8pm.
FRIDAY AUGUST 4
The Twilight Swing will be held at Pier Park in Urangan on Friday August 4, from 4pm to 8pm.
SATURDAY AUGUST 5
City Park Discovery Pod will be held at City Park on Saturday August 5, from 2pm to 5.30pm. Funtime Amusement Seafront Spectacular will be held on Saturday August 5, from 5pm to 8.30pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 6
Paddle Out for Whales will be held at Torquay Pier in Hervey Bay on Sunday August 6, from 10am to 1pm