Every year whale-watchers were asked to keep their boats a reasonable distance from the whales, said Mr Hodda. The whales rested in the Hervey Bay area before heading back to the Antarctic regions after their annual journey north to warmer waters to calve. Mr Hodda said whales could easily become stressed by over-eager spectators who got too close to them in their boats. There was also the risk of physical injury to the mammals from boats' propellers. The albino humpback whale had been spotted off the Australian east coast in consecutive years since 1991, when it was believed to be three to five years old, he said.
Whales are very vulnerable where there are a lot of boats nearby.
They must not be stressed because they need their strength for their journey back to Antarctica.