Tour guides operating in the Great Barrier Reef have played a key role in uncovering a new insight into humpback whale behavior, revealing an unknown breeding area. The unusual behavior, known as "fluking," involves whales floating upside down with their tails above the water for long periods. This behavior was first noticed in 2009 and reported by tour guides to the Great Barrier Reef authorities, who then shared the findings with scientists. This unusual observation sparked a broader scientific investigation into the behavior and its significance. The discovery led to a collaborative research effort involving both citizen scientists—primarily tour operators—and professional researchers. Tour operators helped count adult whales and calves, while scientists conducted detailed studies of the region. This included mapping the seafloor, monitoring water temperatures, tracking whales via satellite, and conducting aerial surveys. These combined efforts revealed that the fluking behavior is a key part of the humpback whale’s breeding process. Researchers found that the Whitsunday Islands, located off the central coast of Queensland, contain a hidden "maternity ward" for humpback whales. The warm, shallow waters of this area are ideal for giving birth and raising young. In one year alone, the Eye on the Reef program recorded 780 adult whales and 153 calves in the Whitsundays, highlighting the area's importance as a calving ground. As a result of this discovery, a Whale Protection Area has been established in the Whitsundays, offering the highest level of protection for marine mammals in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This has led to stricter regulations for human interaction with whales, including required minimum distances for boats. The Whitsundays now stand out as a unique region where a Whale Heritage Area is located within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to strong partnerships between the tourism industry, management agencies, and Indigenous communities known as Traditional Owners.