This week has mainly been about Bucks Parties.

We have had a good few weeks of fabulous weather conditions so are bound to cop an upheaval, which we did this weekend.  Here’s hoping we have magical weather for the school holidays.

We’ve had canal cruises and deep sea fishing trips mainly this week, no whale watching.  It must be the season for pre-marital celebrations, Spring is in the air which usually means “love” is in the air, so that means – celebrations!…..Party time!

A last minute request gave us a nice 3 hour cruise during the week.  The boys had a full day planned and most likely weekend as they still have not returned to pick up their left over alcohol.  They had been to skirmish in the morning, then had lunch at the Aussie World Pub – which turned into a long lunch as they turned up late for their cruise.  A few hours of cruising the canals,at sunset with mates, a few beers, a lot of banter and laughter.  After the cruise – which they wanted to stay in the canals, especially after that big lunch, they headed to Duporth Tavern to watch the footy game that night.

Friday’s Deep Sea Fishing Trip was also a Buck Party and they had come from the Duporth Tavern that night but not all turned up so it was obviously a big night of footy.  Not too much fishing got done.  A few keen anglers fished from the back but we certainly had our share of burly contributors.

Saturday we managed a small 5 hour fishing trip before the winds settled in.  The conditions were not great, typical of weather forecasts – wrong again.  We managed a few fish and the Whales were in much closer too so that’s encouraging.

Our planned overnight fishing charter, last one for the season, was cancelled based on the forecast but it now looks like it’s settling down out there.

Planning a Party? –  Bucks, Hens, Birthday or Christmas; what ever the occasion, we can help.  Crusader 1 is perfect for that get together.  Call Paddy on 0412 155 814 or head over to our website – www.sunshinecoastafloat.com.au  to check out what we can offer you.

 

 

 

 

It was certainly a busy and eventful week last week.  We were luck enough to still have that beautiful weather with us to end winter – what winter I say.  I only recall turning the heather on twice.  She was certainly mild, not that I’m complaining.

Thank you to all that have embraced our Whale Watching trips this season so far.  We have taken a dramatic leap in the number of trips we have been able to do so far and the word is getting out that we can offer a guaranteed rail side viewing so when you do see those whales, you can take all the pictures you want.  We are finding the Humpback Whales are still out a lot wider than they usually are for this time of the year so there are certainly some changes occurring.  We are now in full Whale Watching swing – 2 months to go and we are now seeing the whales in closer than they were a couple of weeks ago so from here on in is the time to really enjoy getting out there.

We have also been doing our half day – 5 hour deep sea fishing charters.  Caloundra State high School joined us on an excursion during the week.  It was nice to see so many international students really engaging and loving the experience.  Firstly a fishing and Spanner Crabbing charter, then off for a bit of lunch and then a tour of the Tuna factory and trawlers.  A great way to spend your day at school. Lots of questions were asked about sustainability and to be able to speak to people who have been working in the industry for years is valuable knowledge.

We were also lucky enough to have a corporate charter so we did a big cook up for breakfast.  Later in the day it was a hens cruise – always nice having the girls on board singing and dancing and enjoying themselves.

Finished off the weekend with another Whale Watching trip – loving it!

If you are interested in any of our activities, please either phone Paddy on 0412 155 814 or check out our website

 

 

 

YES –  Here at Sunshine Coast Afloat we do school excursions for High School Students.  Marine Studies and Recreational Studies students gain benefit from these trips.  The trips usually incorporate a 5 hour deep sea fishing & Spanner Crabbing charter, followed by some lunch from the fish shops in Mooloolaba where they get the fish straight from the Trawlers.  We then take a walk along the dock to view some trawlers and a quick look inside the Tuna Factory.

These trips can be adapted to cruises if fishing is not the key component.

Our tours are based around what the students are studying at the time.  If it’s sustainability, we can talk to them about how Mooloolaba was a thriving hub, what happened, the impacts and how things have changed to now.  The current relationship between fisheries and the trawling industry and how they work together.  If the subject is more about boat licensing, rules and regulations – we can talk about what is required for different levels of licensing – Commercial and or Recreational.

This is an early morning start but exciting day out for students and teachers.  Hand on and certainly not the normal type of field trip.  This time of the year is also perfect to be out on the water as we generally see Whales and Dolphins on our venture along with a cheeky turtle that is trying to eat our Spanner Crabs.

 

 

What a fantastic day of good quality fish on board the Full Day  (9 hour) Deep Sea Fishing Charter last Saturday.

As always heading out on the full day we all have high hopes and expectations but to have good weather, a great bunch of people on board, a good feed, some fantastic fishing, even 30 odd Spanner Crabs (keepers) as well, makes for a great day out on the water.  Once of those days when it all comes together and you have that smile on your face because you have delivered!

Photo is a great pick up – Samson fish

So far, Winter is proving to be what we all hope for, particularly since we got hit with unruly weather the first 6 months of the year.  Spanner & Cobia are the target fish for winter.  Have not had a lot of Cobia on board as yet but seeing some good sized Snapper appearing.  Still have another month or so of winter so get out and enjoy fishing sunset.  We will be continuing our afternoon/evening trips a for a while yet and have started some 5 hour trips coming back in at 8.00 pm to catch the sunset fishing.

Head over to our website to book online or call Paddy on 0412 155 814

 

We are now approaching peak time for Whale Watching – end of August on wards is premium time.  This is when we see much more interaction and antics.  They are usually in a lot closer as well so you get to spend more time with them.  That’s not to say that all whales want to “play” and put on a show for us so we do have to find some that are interested in us and Crusader 1.

Some more interesting Mating Habits of the Humpback Whale: –

  • Whales reach sexual maturity by the age of 7 – 8 but do not become sexually active until about 5 more years later.
  • They have calves every two or three years but some have calves every year.
  • Amazingly enough, Humpbacks don’t eat anything during the breeding season.
  • Humpback Whales are not monogamous – they have numerous partners during each breeding season.
  • Humpback Whales have never been observed mating but they have been seen engaged in affectionate and “seductive behaviour.
  • A males foreplay is blowing “bubbles that will rise beneath the genital of the female”
  • You can usually identify male humpback whales by their battle scars.  These are a result of fierce competition among males for ovulating females.
  • Female Humpback Whales normally get pregnant in the warm waters and return the following year to give birth.
  • Giving birth to their calf is usually done along the Eastern Australian coastline was the waters are warm and the calf would not survive the freezing waters of the Antarctic.
  • Once the female has given birth she can become immediately pregnant again.
  • About 80% of mother and calf pods have a male escort but for how long, we don’t know as the mother is usually lactating and not a potential mate at that stage.
  • The males are not interested in raising the young.
  • Females rarely interact with one another in the breeding area.
  • It is thought that the female chooses a particular male but we don’t know what attributed females prefer

Join us for a glimpse of these magnificent animals and learn more about their behaviour.

Call Paddy on 0412 155 814 or jump onto our website to book.

 

 

What a fantastic week of activity and weather.  A mixture of an 18 hour overnight fishing trip to the fun 5 hour corporate social club outings.  Throw in some Whale Watching and we even assisted the Coastrek event. (Wild Women on Top)  The weather last week was for nominal with beautiful sunny days and calm seas which always makes being out on the water magical.

Our New Zealand friends have been loving the fishing and we are certainly enjoying showcasing the Sunshine Coast fishing, coastline and conditions to them. Jason sent through this fabulous text after there trip last week: –

 “Thank you so much for yesterday Paddy.  Your staff were so friendly and helpful, everyone had a great time.   It has been the highlight of their trip so far and thanks for the rod and reel, that was so nice of you guys.” 

After ferrying the Coastrek participants from La Balsa Pontoon to The Public Boat Ramp in Mooloolaba on Friday, we headed out whale watching for the afternoon.  Had a lovely encounter with a few mum’s and calf’s.  The whales are starting to come in a lot closer now which is good as they are generally more playful and active.

Last weekend was all about fishing.  Corporate events and bucks parties followed by our big overnight trip.  We were lucky enough to have a company from Toowoomba on board on Saturday and his was kind enough to put up a google & Trip Advisor review.

“The staff were fantastic, they made the trip something to remember. It was a real pleasure to be on the water,  I would definitely recommend this charter for everyone.” – Michael

Our 18 hour, overnight trip was filled with all sorts – On the way out we were lucky enough to experience a pod of dolphins riding the waves and the bow of Crusader 1.  Enjoying a few drinks and nibbles while watching the sun set, a nice big feed of eye fillet steaks and a variety of other meats.  Breakfast was croissants, bacon, eggs, hash browns and anything else you want.

Some fabulous fish caught, but instead of rattling them off – watch the video: –  Enjoy.

If you would like to know more about our Fishing Charters, Whale Watching, Cruises – just call Paddy on 0412 155 814 or check out our website – www.sunshinecoastafloat.com.au

Sunshine Coast Afloat is THE exclusive provider of guided kayak fishing tours on the Sunshine Coast!

Explore the Sunshine Coast’s beautiful estuaries in a lightweight, stable kayak. On this half day adventure, our expert local guides will take you to secret locations accessible only by kayaks. These infrequently fished locations are abundant with many fish species. Bream, whiting, flathead, trevally, tailor, jew and even Barramundi are just some of the species you might catch!

You don’t need any experience to enjoy this unique fishing tour as our experienced guides will teach you the finer nuances and techniques to help you get the hang of things in no time.

And as if the promise of pristine waters abundant with fish wasn’t enough to get you excited, Sunshine Coast Afloat will also throw in a brand new Japanese rod and reel that you’ll use while out on the water, which is yours to take home and keep!

Sunshine Coast Afloat’s guided kayak fishing tours depart from Outrigger Park in Kawana, with tours running both morning and afternoon. This tour is rapidly gaining popularity, with many people coming back again and again! Try it for yourself to see what all the fuss is about – you’re sure to get hooked.

 

 

 

Overnight Fishing Trip cancelled –  Of all the times for the weather and play havoc, it was that one night.  All the planning and excitement of heading out overnight again, gone.  The winds came in fast and furious but didn’t hang around which was good so we managed to get a small 5 Hour trip out on Saturday afternoon.

Typical of the 5 Hour charter, a bit quiet but Shalmaine pick up a nice Amber Jack which I’m sure she’d be happy with.

Sunday, we headed out to the Barwon Banks on a Full Day of fishing.  Matt bought on a group of guys which were great company.  South Easterlies crated a bit of chop which the few that didn’t take their motion tablets felt but some great fishing on the day.  Lost a couple of big fish.  A few good long hard fights to bring them in but lost them.  That Cobia that got away is one of those fish that will be spoken about for ages.  :)

All in all, a good weekend of fishing.  This week is looking awesome from a weather perspective.  We have a couple of trips this week with a few spots available and with such nice conditions this is definitely the time to be out on the water.  Grab the added bonus of seeing the Humpback Whales!

The Humpback Whale Migration is now in full swing along Australian Coastlines. We live in an age were we are lucky enough to see their numbers increasing by more than 10% per year.
Every season more and more people are able to experience the amazing sight of these wild and majestic creatures swimming in our protected waters.
More and more research is being done on Humpback Whale behaviour as well as the changes the climate is having on their patterns.
As we learn more about these fascinating mammals, we thought we would share some of the information we have learnt about Humpback Whales and the way they appear to communicate.

  • Humpback Whales produce the longest and most varied songs in the animal world.
  • Australian Humpback Whales communicate further (over greater distances) than any other whale on earth.
  • The “songs” are produced by moving air back and forth through body passages.
  • Only Male Humpbacks sing.
  • Each sequence normally lasts 10-15 minutes and can be repeated without a break, for hours.
  • The sequence is unique to that population – all the Humpbacks in the one area sing a “local” song.
  • Each year the songs evolve and are a little different but incorporated into the current sequence.
  • Many of the songs are at a very low frequency, out of our hearing range.
  • Some evidence suggests that the large whales create “infra sound”.
  • It is thought that singing maybe part of the breeding process.
  • Humpback Whales communicate through song but also social sounds which are vocal and through surface behaviour.
  • Surface behaviour includes breaching, fin slapping, lob-tailing and flipper slapping.
  • More than 34 different vocal sounds have been recorded.  From noises similar to a bird chirp to a snort, which is all amazing as they have no vocal cords.

Join us on one of our intimate Whale Watching experiences by booking online or phoning Paddy on 0412 155 814

This is one for the hard-core fisherman!

Sunshine Coast Afloat’s Overnight Deep Sea Fishing Charters are the only overnight fishing adventure on the Sunshine Coast! On this 18 hour charter, our experienced crew will take you deep, deep into the ocean, all the way to the Continental Shelf.

These tours are carefully planned out around the moon cycle, tides and fishing reefs, to ensure ultimate fishing success! We’ll take you to a number of closely guarded locations that have proven themselves as fantastic night fishing locations. These charters target snapper in particular, but large Pearl Perch and other night predators are certainly in our scope as well!

This charter is only run during the winter months when the weather is more stable, as it relies heavily on favourable weather conditions. Winter is also big time snapper season, and they love to feed at night!

Sunshine Coast Afloat only takes a maximum of 12 passengers on these trips (despite being able to comfortably fit plenty more!) designed for maximum comfort and plenty of space. With sleeping accommodation for up to six people at a time, this charter is designed for maximum fishing time! Dinner, breakfast, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are all included.

Mother Nature usually only allows us to run a maximum of eight trips per year, making them all the more special and exclusive! Dates for our overnight charters are released in May for the winter – July is booked out and we only have a couple of spots left on our August 26th trip.  September 9th is started and will probably be our last for the season so if you have been thinking about these trips I’d suggest you get in quickly.!