If you dream of getting up close and personal with deep-sea giants, there are only two places in the state you can do so - and one is in the Shoalhaven.
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Dive Jervis Bay recently became one of a handful of businesses Australia-wide licensed to take people swimming with whales.
Co-owner Peter Ellis said the experience was "exhilarating".
"We have to keep 30 metres away, and we've told the whales that but they don't always listen," he said.
"They're curious creatures, they're huge, and incredibly graceful. There's no aggression there at all."
He said the best time to swim with the whales was during their migration south, when the whales stop more often to rest.
Swimmers are dropped ahead and to the side of the whales' path, to await any curious cetaceans.
"Sometimes they dive deep, some will come up to you - a lot depends on the conditions," he said.
Mr Ellis hopes the opportunity to get close will encourage more people to appreciate the gentle giants. Whale populations are still recovering from historic whaling practices, and are now under threat from plastics pollution.
"We're one of the first dive shops to be an approved partner for Sea Shepherd, and how we interact with whales and marine life is part of that," he said.
"It's our backyard and we have to make sure they're protected. We try to educate people about the whales and give them some history and an appreciation."
