Whale Watching on Passions and "Migaloo" The Infamous White Whale

While on Passions, one of the numerous cool things you will experience nearly every single time you go out is whale sightings. Currently, it is Humpback Whale Season in Cairns (June - September) and I have yet to go out on Passions and have a "whale-less" day. At the moment, they are migrating between sub-Antarctic Waters. They spend time at the Great Barrier Reef where they can give births to their calves safely in the coral away from danger. A sighting of a humpback is absolutely breathtaking. They can reach up to 15 meters and absolutely love to breach their enormous bodies from the water. While I have not been lucky enough to capture a picture of a humpback breaching, they love to stick their tails out of the water and it seems even show off a little.

Likewise, from May to September it is the season for Dwarfe Minke Whales. While I do not have any live footage of these whales, they are a smaller baleen whale (6 - 8 meters). These whales are rare and are only seen about 200 times per year on the Great Barrier Reef. 

Currently in the media, there is a great deal of interest focused on "Migaloo", the infamous all - white humpback whale. With the most recent sighting at Cape Flattery (about 220 km north of Cairns), excitement is building for a possible photograph of the humpback. The first sighting of Migaloo was in June 1991 at Byron Bay. Since then, the sighting of this unique whale is thought to be truly extraordinary. 


Migaloo is a male humpback whale. Researchers have theorized Migaloo is an albino whale but with not enough evidence, he is a "hypo-pigmented white humpback" for the moment.  After being struck by a trimaran in 2003, Migaloo has received a great deal of attention from Queensland government to ensure he is protected from any form of harassment. This law was enacted to keep all vessels away (within 500 M) and all aircrafts (within 2000 feet). If any vessels or aircrafts are to breach these laws, the fine is a grand total of $16,500.

While seeing Migaloo is quite rare, it is not unheard of. With the gorgeous whale in the area as we speak, it is possible to see him while out on Passions. So come out and enjoy - you'll likely see a breaching humpback (whether albino or not... it's cool, I promise!)


Cheers,
Leah

Proposal on Passions!

As you guys know by now, I work on the Passions boat 2 days a week (and loveeee it!) Usually the boat entails the usual various experiences: snorkeling, diving, whale watching, and a fabulous time with your friends, family and crew members... but sometimes on the off chance, something very spontaneous happens that makes the whole trip even more meaningful. 


Last Wedsnday was one of those days! While we were at Michaelmas Cay, a couple were engaged while wading in the gorgeous waters of the Great Barrier Reef. While everyone else was snorkeling, I saw the couple having an absolutely adorable moment. The young woman was in complete shock with hands trembling (with a gorgeous ring on her finger of course...) and the biggest smile on her face possible as she was proposed to. It is safe to say, there was no way any woman could have said no when held in a moment like that.

As a newly engaged couple, the crew made sure their time on the boat was truly worthwhile. On the ride home, we helped the couple celebrate with pictures, Corona's & lime, and LOTS of champagne! 

After an absolutely gorgeous day on the reef, we left the couple to cuddle on the back of the boat as the sun began to set. It is no surprise that after such an amazing proposal, our crew was left wondering how amazing their wedding will be.

While this is merely a proposal, Passions has recently been in the Cairns Post for their exquisite wedding packages. In the Post's article, one of our dive master's, Sally Browning, makes obvious what an ideal setting our company's packages offer newlyweds.

While I work specifically on Passions, the company also offers Coral Sea Dreaming - a diving boat which offers intimate overnight trips to the Great Barrier Reef's most extraordinary sites. Coral Sea Dreaming offers 20 different dive and snorkel sites to provide couples with the perfect setting for either your wedding day or possible honeymoon. 

If an intimate diving experience is not what you are looking for, Passions also offers night cruises for wedding receptions which holds a maximum of 70 guests.

Each of these packages have collaborated with Classic Dream Cars as well - a company which offers wedding cars for your pre and post wedding departure on Passions or Coral Sea Dreaming. We currently have a 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Convertible - one of the only two known to be delivered in Australia.

In my personal opinion, any couple would be extremely lucky to share a memory like these on either Coral Sea or Passions. I can only hope it will be me someday :)

On Thursday I plan on posting again, so keep up!

Cheers, 

Leah

A Day in the Life of a Passions Intern

If you've decided to stop by my blog, there are various possible reasons behind this:

1) You're interested in learning more about Passions of Paradise.

2) You're interested in how I managed to land such an internship.

3) You're interested in the field of tourism and all that is has to offer.

4) You're spending way too much time online and not really sure how you managed to end up reading about a college starving student's experiences in Cairns, Queensland, Australia....

Either way, I am going to tell you about each of these things and give you a brief rundown on what exactly I do as an intern for Passions.

The idea for Passions of Paradise came to Alan Wallish and Steven Carter in 1987. The two dreamt about a boat that would give others the opportunity to snorkel and dive at the Great Barrier Reef. Working numerous jobs in hopes of making their dream a reality, the pair's idea set sail in 1989 when they built their first catamaran.

 Over the years, the boat has truly revolutionized. On Passions, you are not only given the opportunity to snorkel, dive, and whale watch, but our one and only boat designed in 2002 allows for smooth (and eco-friendly) sailing home. The experience Passions provides their consumers with is something truly worthwhile. As one of the only locally owned and run businesses in Cairns, it is no surprise that they have won 5 consecutive Queensland Tourism Awards in various categories and 1 Australian Tourism Award for Adventure. Likewise, in 2009 Passions was admitted to the Queensland Tourism Hall of Fame (quite an honor!)

Now if you've made it this far, I can tell you a little bit about myself, how I landed this amazing opportunity, and what exactly I am doing at Passions...

At home, I attend Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. As a college student, one of the most frustrating questions you receive is "what do you want to do when you graduate?" Picking a major is rather intimidating and after much indecision, it felt right for me to choose what I loved over a chance at being rich and famous - in short, this is what landed me in the Recreation program. 

In our Recreation program, we have what our called "phases" that we undergo with a class of 60. Phase 1 is an intro to each form of recreation: tourism, community, outdoor and therapeutic. In Phase 2, we are given the opportunity to work on our planning, development, and budgeting skills. Phase 3 is our internship phase. Phase 4 is our reflection phase. What does all of this have to do with my experience here? My INTERNSHIP phase. Before we begin our internship, we have to acquire 250 hours of fieldwork (volunteer hours) and this is precisely what has drawn me to Australia. Yes... it may have been an excuse to travel abroad, especially in a beautiful place like Cairns, but it is fieldwork hours nonetheless!

Now while I did come to Cairns for this reason, I have AustraLearn to thank for actually setting up this internship. For those of you who have not heard about AustraLearn, they are an excellent study abroad program that provides students with the opportunities to travel to Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. AustraLearn not only sets up internships abroad, but also semesters abroad at universities and likewise short-term study programs. 

Now onto what you really want to know... what do I do as an intern for Passions?

At Passions, I am working both in the office and out on the boat. In the office, my duties range significantly as I am attempting to get the most experience in each area of how to successfully run a business in the tourism industry. On Mondays and Thursdays, you can either find me in the reservations office with Mel or making sales calls to resorts and hostels with Passion’s marketing director, Fluffy. Mel checks people onto the boat, takes reservations for upcoming trips, takes the dearest of care with Passions money from the boat, and more. While I am with Mel, I generally shadow each of her duties and continue to learn about the role she plays. Likewise, I am given the opportunity to blog.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I am out on the boat! This is by far my favorite part of working for Passions. I shadow Jo, the purser, who handles the money on the boat. While I am on the boat, I am responsible for helping Jo with the sales of food, wetsuits, glass bottom boat trips, cameras, and more. I also help with lunch (which is AMAZING I must add) and dishes. My duties can range from anywhere to wiping down tables to helping with snorkel tours at Paradise Reef. Likewise, I am Passions newest photographer for their website! You can expect to see me snapping pictures in your face left and right while you are struggling with your wetsuit and flippers….but really, they will soon be up for everyone to see and for you to reminisce about.

While my duties may not sound all that exciting, a day on the boat is truly something I look forward too and as a previous customer, it is even more amazing. We usually visit two locations: Michaelmas Cay and Paradise Reef. Each site allows for gorgeous diving and snorkeling. While Michaelmas Cay is open to other boats, Paradise Reef is exclusive to only Passions. While at each dive site, you are given the chance to snorkel, intro dive, or certified dive.

Even if you have never dived, I highly recommend doing the 10 - minute sample dive. While it may seem “adventurous” and maybe even a little scary, diving on Passions is something I could not let myself pass up. The instructors and crew bring about a sense of both confidence and comfort in new divers that allows you to enjoy the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef.

Even if you do not dive, being on the Passions boat is an experience in itself. There is lunch, tea, coffee, cookies, cheese and crackers provided. On a nice day, you always see people sun bathing (or sun burning) on the deck and possibly even getting splashed by a few waves. Currently, it is whale season and so you can definitely expect to see a few on your way out to Michaelmas. Similarly, at Michaelmas we have the glass bottom boat where you can experience the reef from a different perspective. On the way home, the crew makes you at home with our reef teach sessions and even a few magic tricks.

In a nutshell, this is a day in the life of a Passions intern so far. Keep following and you can expect posts on whales, the crown of thorns starfish, and heaps more about my Australian experiences abroad.

Cheers!

Leah