Woman injured in incident with two humpback whales while swimming off Exmouth
A woman has been flown to Royal Perth Hospital after being injured while swimming with humpback whales in Exmouth on Saturday.
The 29-year-old was swimming with the marine mammals on a boat charter when the freak accident occurred.
WA has been trialing humpback whale swimming encounters since June 2016. Credit:Brandon Cole
She was flown by the Royal Flying Doctor Service from the popular tourist spot to Perth early Sunday morning and remained in hospital in a serious but stable condition on Monday.
She is reportedly suffering fractured ribs and internal bleeding.
The humpback whale swimming encounters in the Ningaloo Marine Park are scheduled to become a permanent licensed industry in 2021 at the completion of a five-year trial that is being monitored by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
A select group of tour operators are authorised to offer the experience, with groups in the water limited to nine at a time.
According to a draft management program report released by the department in January, swimmers must not approach within 30 metres of a whale.
“If an in-water humpback whale interaction swimmer is approached by a whale to within the 30 metre limit, that swimmer shall take all reasonable steps to avoid contact with the whale and maintain a separation distance of no less than 15 metres by back-paddling or swimming away from or to the side of the whale,” it read.
The regulations also require swimmers to enter the water at least 75 metres away from a whale.
Swimmers are required not to approach within 30 metres of a humpback whale. Credit:DBCA