Dwarf Minke Whales are beautiful, curious and playful whales that visit the Reef between Cairns and Lizard Island in June and July every year, like the one in this picture from reader Helen Robertson from Yorkey's Knob for our Weekender Wildlife Photography Competition. 

As the competition draws to a close this weekend, readers are urged to get in quick if they want to have their photographs considered. 

Weekender has been inundated with photos in the five categories – butterflies, birds, reptiles, insects and Australian mammals, with hundreds of stunning shots in each section.

The Cairns Post pictorial editor Marc McCormack says the standard of all entries has been very high, making it a tough task for our judges to pick the winners.

View picture galleries of entries.

The competition follows The Cairns Post’s successful Operation Leapfrog, done in partnership with the Australian Rainforest Foundation to raise awareness of the plight of frogs in the Far North.

Submit your own picture.

If you would prefer to send in your photos in hardcopy formet, please post a non-returnable hard copy to Weekender Wildlife Photography Competition, Features Desk, The Cairns Post, PO Box 126, Cairns, 4870 (but get in quick as you only have till Friday!)

The winning photographs will feature in a special picture spread in Weekender and be included in a special glossy wildlife poster series.

Would you like to know more about wildlife in the Cairns region? Follow the links below to find out!

> Cairns zoos and animal attractions

> More whale pictures from The Cairns Post

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