Swimming with whales: a frolic in the wild or an accident waiting to happen?

As Australian humpback populations rebound, an increasing number of tourists visiting Queensland are seeking 'eye-to-eye' experiences with the giant animals. But risks from predatory orcas and sharks are very real, say many experts, who are calling for stricter controls on tour operators

Over the winter months an estimated 22,000 to 23,000 Australian humpback whales, thought to be a new record, will steam up the country's east coast to their annual breeding grounds at unknown sites in the Great Barrier Reef.

At the same time, following the introduction in the past year of tour operators offering a swim-with-whales experience, thousands of snorkellers are expected to step off vessels and slide into the waters of the Pacific at points along the humpbacks' 10,000km migratory path. They are seeking "eye-to-eye" experiences with humpbacks and their calves, southern right whales, dwarf minke whales and Indo-Pacific and common bottlenose dolphins.