Our History
With her crew of dedicated seamen who respect and understand the Humpback Whale, Captain Kerry Lopez is the only woman captain operating a whalewatching venture in the South Pacific Rim.
Back in Brisbane, one day in 1990, Kerry noticed a pod of Humpback Whales in Moreton Bay. Her dream was to promote public awareness of the need to preserve these creatures and their environment. Kerry capitalized on her own love of whales, and current environmental interests, to establish Moreton Bay Whalewatching- now operating as Brisbane Whale Watching.
Kerry saw there was a need for an up-market, high-speed passenger boat that was different from the slow, wooden vessels that commonly operated in South-East Queensland waters. After negotiating a deal for a 16-meter catamaran and obtaining a whalewatching permit in 1996, Moreton Bay Whalewatching, now operating as Brisbane Whale Watching, was born.
Kerry holds one of only two commercial whalewatching cruise permits in Moreton Bay Queensland, Australia and is dedicated to the protection of Humpback whales. In 2000, Moreton Bay Whalewatching Tours – now operating as Brisbane Whale Watching hosted the International Humpback Whale Conference and ‘showcased’ the magnificent whalewatching waters of Moreton Bay to delegates from throughout the world.
Today, Kerry heads the team at Moreton Bay Whalewatching, now operating as Brisbane Whale Watching, which brings in excess of 12,000 visitors to the Redcliffe Peninsula during June-November. The tour is recognized both nationally and internationally.