Captain Kerry Lopez, Brisbane's Whale Watching Ambassadress

Of Australian Whales, Tourism, EnvironmentalBack in Brisbane, one day in 1990, Kerry seen a pod of
Advocacy and One Woman PowerHumpback Whales within Moreton Bay. Her desire
Brisbane is among the principal Australian placeswas to market public awareness of the call for to
adding to the major landmark in the record ofpreserve these animals along with their environment.
Australian tourism in recent decades. With the localKerry invested on her own love of whales, as well as
tourism improving nearly half of its economic climate,latest ecological pursuits, to set up Moreton Bay Whale
it's not hard to appreciate its achievement and growthwatching -- presently operating as Brisbane Whale
looking up its background in the past years. And it's notWatching.
also rare to encounter individuals who have been a bigKerry noticed that there was a need for an up-market,
part of delivering everybody the opportunity tohigh-speed traveler ship that was different from the
experience the treasures of this paradise and plungeslow, wood vessels that commonly worked in
on the options no more than Brisbane AustraliaSouth-East Queensland marine environments. Following
provides.negotiating an arrangement to buy a 16-meter
Meet Captain Kerry Lopezcatamaran and receiving a whale watching grant on
Kerry can be described as successful1996, Moreton Bay Whale watching (currently
businesswoman, Captain and mother, working non-stopoperating as Brisbane Whale Watching) was
in advancing tourism and protecting the localdeveloped.
environment. To top that, she handles together withTogether with her crew of devoted seamen who
maneuvers the 30-metre boat known as MV Eye Spyregard as well as have an understanding of the the
herself. She actually is the only lady captain owningnatural world of Humpback Whale, Captain Kerry
and running a whale watching operation within theLopez certainly is the sole lady captain consistently
South Pacific Rim and launched the first regular whaleoperating a whale watching venture throughout the
watching tours throughout Moreton Bay.South Pacific region that's recognised both country
In her formative career, Kerry worked being awide and worldwide.
deckhand aboard a spectator craft for the 1987Kerry maintains one of just 2 commercial whale
Americas Cup, ahead of enrolling in the Fremantlewatching permits in Moreton Bay which is focused on
Maritime College even as the only lady in a class ofthe safety of Humpback whales. On the year 2000,
thirty. Certainly one of just five students whoMoreton Bay Whale watching Tours -- presently
graduated through the two year program, Lopez hasrunning as Brisbane Whale Watching managed the
been forced to complete a practical exam and turnedInternational Humpback Whale Conference and
out to be the second woman within Australia to haveadditionally displayed the formidable whale watching
her Class Five Master Mariners Certificate.locations of Moreton Bay to delegates from
Lopez departed from the west to find work aroundthroughout the world.
Australia. A couple of years afterwards and sheCurrently, Kerry leads the team at Brisbane Whale
obtained sufficient sea time along with tour agents andWatching that provides in extra of 12,000 tourists to
business marine job to examine for and thus acquirethe Redcliffe Peninsula during June to November. In
her Class Four Masters Certificate. Arriving in Brisbane,2003, Australia's most exclusive whale watching boat
she began to work as a skipper on the vessel Cat"Eye-Spy" began operating giving passengers to take
O'Nine Tails taking tourists to Saint Helena Island then inpleasure from wandering aboard the high-speed
Heron Island upon the Great Barrier Reef.voyager cruise ship.