Freedom Ecotours

Mark and Andrea Cooper run Hervey Bay whale-watch cruises off Freedom, a 1990 catamaran once owned by documentary filmmaker Ben Cropp. The crew is half the draw: Mark is an offshore sailor with three Sydney to Hobart races behind him, Andrea an environmental scientist and former science teacher who runs the commentary. From July to October the boat works the calm, protected water where humpbacks rest and breach close in, and a hydraulic platform drops you near the waterline. Full-day cruises include lunch and bus transfers; over summer it shifts to sunset and private charters. Eco Certified.