While whale watchers were treated to a spectacular display of breaching, pec slapping and tail thrashing off the coastline on the weekend, they also had a close encounter with an unexpected visitor moored out of Forster.
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General cargo ship, AAL Fremantle arrived on Friday and departed last night, Sunday, June 5 at 11pm bound for Fremantle (WA) from Queensland.
A combination of a delicate cargo (which is unknown) and huge five metre swells out to sea are believed to have forced the vessel to take shelter approximately one nautical mile off Main Beach.
According to a Forster Tuncurry Marine Rescue spokesperson, a large vessel moored so close to the beach was very unusual.
He said Marine Rescue had little information about the vessel, however it was believed the AAL Fremantle was waiting to get into the Newcastle Port.
"There were pretty big swells out to sea."
He said the area of the coast from Crowdy Head to Cape Hawke was relatively protected from large swells.
Flying under the flag of Cyprus, the 11-year-old ship is just south of Wollongong and expected to dock in Fremantle on June 12.
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