Captain Kerry is a successful businesswoman, Captain and mother, working tirelessly on promoting local tourism and protecting our environment.
Kerry worked as a deckhand on board a spectator craft for the 1987 Americas Cup, before enrolling in the Fremantle Maritime College as the only woman in a class of 30.
One of only five students who graduated from the 2-year course, Lopez was forced to do a practical exam and became the second woman in Australia to get her Class Five Master Mariners Certificate. Lopez left the West to search for work around Australia.
Two years later she had enough sea time with tour operators and merchant marine work to study for and receive her Class Four Masters Certificate. Arriving in Brisbane, she began work as a skipper on the boat Cat O’Nine Tails taking people to St Helena Island and then to Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
With her crew of dedicated seamen who share her deep respect and understanding of the Humpback Whale, Captain Kerry Lopez stands as the sole female captain operating a whale-watching venture in the South Pacific Rim.
In 1990, Kerry’s passion for whales was ignited when she spotted a pod of Humpback Whales in Moreton Bay. Determined to raise public awareness about the importance of preserving these majestic creatures and their environment, Kerry founded Moreton Bay Whale Watching, now operating as Brisbane Whale Watching.
Recognising the need for a modern, high-speed passenger vessel in the region, Kerry pursued her vision. In 1996, after securing a 16-meter catamaran and obtaining a whale-watching permit, Moreton Bay Whale Watching was officially launched.
Kerry holds one of only two commercial whale-watching cruise permits in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, demonstrating her unwavering dedication to the protection of Humpback whales.
In 2000, Brisbane Whale Watching hosted the International Humpback Whale Conference, showcasing the breathtaking whale-watching waters of Moreton Bay to delegates from around the globe.
Today, under Kerry’s leadership, Brisbane Whale Watching brings over 12,000 visitors to the Redcliffe Peninsula from June to November. Renowned nationally and internationally, the tour continues to captivate audiences with unforgettable whale-watching experiences.
Transfers from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast are available.
Tours commence on Saturday the 8th of June 2024 through to November.
Departing Redcliffe 7 days per week.
Brisbane Whale Watching acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their unique cultural and spiritual relationship to land, water, and seas and their rich contribution to society.