12 July 2020 Update

Freedom III is able to take 47 passengers due to the change in Stage 3 restriction which were announced on the 3rd July. We will be operating under the COVID Safe Checklist as approved by the Queensland Government.
To comply with this our crew will regularly clean and disinfect common touch areas  and they have all completed Covid Safe training through TAFE.
We ask that all passengers consider their own health and that of our crew and other passengers by maintaining social distancing as much as possible and by maintaining appropriate respiratory and hand hygiene while onboard Freedom III.
Please note that if you are unwell please stay home. We will not allow unwell passengers or those who have been in a COVID hotspot in the past 14 days to board the boat. Queenslanders have done so well and we hope to keep it that way so all our guests can enjoy the whales and we can get back to business smoothly.
Our first whale watch is July 16 and we can’t wait to be out there with our gently giants.

Whale Watching in a COVID SAFE Space!

Hervey Bay has had very few cases of Coronavirus and we hope to keep it this way so we can have a full and rewarding whale season.

It is our mission to help our guests and crew stay safe and healthy while onboard Freedom III. To do this we will have to modify the way we do many things around the vessel and in particularly how we serve food. We still aim to provide excellent service and fresh food that we know our return guests appreciate.

We all need to follow the simple guidelines as shown in this graphic from Queensland Health to protect ourselves and those around us from the possible spread of COVID-19.

The crew are working on a COVID SAFE PLAN for the start of whale watching season, on the 14th of July, which is line with Stage 3 of the Roadmap to easing restrictions outlined by Queensland Health.

protect yourself and those around you - COVID-19 safe whale watch cruise
IF YOU’RE SICK STAY HOME!
Check your Symptoms against the chart and if in doubt stay home.

We will not penalise cancellations or postponements due to illness which looks like Coronavirus.

We also encourage the use of the COVID SAFE App.

symptoms of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), a cold and the flu

What will we be doing for your safety?

In accordance with the health guidelines we will need to record every passengers’ contact details to enable tracing in the unlikely event of a COVID case being confirmed onboard Freedom III.

  • Hand sanitiser will be readily available as well as hand washing soap and paper towels in all bathrooms.
  • You will be asked before boarding if you are feeling well and there will be signage around the vessel encouraging social distancing and hand washing.
  • Surfaces will be cleaned regularly and thoroughly disinfected at least daily. Food handling gloves will be used by crew in accordance with food and safety guidelines. Dishes and cutlery will be sanitised between uses.
  • Freedom Whale Watch will be restricting passenger numbers to 35 as per Stage 3 guidelines to make social distancing easier.

All staff have completed COVID SAFE training through TAFE.