Just putting my feet up! Tourists spot a humpback whale SLEEPING with his tail bobbing out of the water

  • Holidaymakers came across a whale sleeping with its tail out of water  
  • Skipper Bryce Murtagh said that it was a 30-tonne humpback whale
  • Mr Murtagh gauged that whale's tail was about four metres across 
  • He was headed to Great Barrier Reef off Mission Beach in Queensland  

By John Carney for Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Holidaymakers got the surprise of their lives when instead of seeing a whale breaching they got to see one sleeping instead.

As the boat skippered by Bryce Murtagh and carrying two passengers navigated the choppy waters they came across a 30-tonne humpback whale – or rather his massive four metre-wide tail.

The surprised Mr Murtagh and his passengers were headed to the Great Barrier Reef off Mission Beach in north Queensland, when they came across the sleeping giant.

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Bryce Murtagh and his two passengers were headed to the Great Barrier Reef off Mission Beach in north Queensland when they saw the whale's tail sticking out of the water 

Bryce Murtagh and his two passengers were headed to the Great Barrier Reef off Mission Beach in north Queensland when they saw the whale's tail sticking out of the water 

As their boat navigated the choppy conditions the party came over a wave and found themselves confronted by the whale's huge tail sticking straight out of the water.

Unlike humans and other non-aquatic mammals, breathing is not involuntary for whales and dolphins.

To stop drowning as they sleep they shut off half their brain at a time, allowing them to return to the surface periodically to breathe.

During this the whale floats tail-over-head without moving a muscle while it takes a nap.

It was thought to be a 30-tonne humpback whale with a four metre-wide tail

'I take tourists out to the reef snorkelling and scuba diving but I've never seen anything like this in my life. So what an experience,' Mr Murtagh said.

'It would have to be nearly 13 metres long, the tail was about four metres across. I was in a seven-metre boat and his tail was a little bit shorter than the boat. 

'It was a bit choppy you know and I came over a wave and the lady in the boat was like 'oh my God' and at the same time I saw it and thought ''holy s***, look at that''.' 

Mr Murtagh (pictured) said he got quite a shock when he first saw the whale's tail

Mr Murtagh (pictured) said he got quite a shock when he first saw the whale's tail

 

 

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