HAVE A REEF ADVENTURE

From June to August, dwarf minke whales head to the Great Barrier Reef north of Cairns. No-one knows how many of them come, or exactly why they do, but these 8m giants are famously friendly. In fact, the species was only discovered in the early 1980s when one approached a Port Douglas local who was out diving. These days several tour companies offer day trips from Port Douglas to swim with the whales, but for a richer experience your best bet is to try a multi-day cruise from Cairns with Mike Ball Expeditions.