Tangalooma, Queensland facts for kids
Welcome to Tangalooma Island Resort! This amazing place is on the west side of Moreton Island in Queensland, Australia. It used to be a place where people processed whales. Now, it's a super popular resort. It sits on the eastern shore of Moreton Bay. People love Tangalooma for its comfy places to stay and its special program where you can feed wild dolphins. It also has huge sand dunes and cool wreck diving spots.
Many people enjoy swimming along the beautiful white beaches. Over 3,500 visitors come here every week! It's only about 70 minutes from Brisbane by a fast catamaran. Most of the island is part of Moreton Island National Park. The waters nearby are protected as the Moreton Bay Marine Park. The name "Tangalooma" comes from an Aboriginal word. It means "where the fish gather".
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A Look Back: Tangalooma's History
During World War II, a naval base and a jetty were built at Tangalooma.
The Whaling Station Story
From 1952 to 1962, Tangalooma was a whaling station. This means it was a factory where humpback whales were caught and processed. During these years, 6,277 humpback whales were processed here. Whaling happened in winter when the whales swam along the coast. The factory worked 24 hours a day for about eight to ten weeks.
At first, the whaling station was very successful. About 140 people worked there. But in its last years, fewer whales were caught. It became too expensive to keep going. When the station started, there were about 10,000 humpback whales in eastern Australia. By the time it closed, only about 500 were left. In 1963, hunting humpbacks was banned in Australian waters. Since then, the whale population has been growing again. After the station closed, it was sold and turned into the resort we know today.
Learn and Explore at the Eco Centre
The Tangalooma Eco Centre helps people learn about nature. It used to be called the Tangalooma Marine Education and Conservation Centre. "Eco Rangers" work here. They lead fun learning programs and nature tours. These tours help visitors understand the plants and animals around them. The Eco Centre is right by the beach, near the Tangalooma Jetty. This is also where they run the wild dolphin feeding program at night. Only guests staying at the resort can join this special activity.
Fun at Tangalooma Island Resort
The resort is famous for letting guests hand-feed wild dolphins. Every evening, as the sun sets, a group of up to 11 local bottlenose dolphins swims to the beach. They come right in front of the resort! Some guests get to feed them. The Tangalooma Marine Education and Conservation Centre (TMECC) supervises this activity. This makes sure it is safe for both people and dolphins.
Besides feeding dolphins, there are many other tours and activities. You can go on whale watching cruises. The resort has about 300 rooms. These include hotel rooms, villas, and apartments. You can even find places to build private homes on the sand hills behind the resort. The resort can use the beach in front of it. But the public can also use the beach.
Underwater Adventures: Tangalooma Ship Wrecks
North of Tangalooma Island Resort, you'll find 15 old ships. They were sunk on purpose between the 1960s and 1980s. These wrecks have now become a special man-made ecosystem. They provide a safe home for many local sea creatures. You can see dolphins, sea turtles, wobbegongs (a type of shark), and over 200 kinds of fish.
The Tangalooma Wrecks are a popular spot for boats. They offer a calm place to drop anchor. They are also known as a fantastic snorkeling location. Two of the ships sunk here were HMAS Bermagui and HMAS Uki.
Tangalooma in Movies and TV
Tangalooma and Moreton Island have been featured in several films and TV shows. The TV series "Holiday Island" filmed many scenes here in the early 1980s. The movie Scooby Doo (2002) was also filmed here. In the movie, Tangalooma was called 'Spooky Island'. Stars like Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Sarah Michelle Gellar were in it. More recently, the film Ticket to Paradise (2022) filmed scenes at Tangalooma Island Resort. That movie starred George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
