A CAIRNS JCU student has had a close encounter of a different kind, after she took these stunning photos of several Dwarf Minke Whales near Cooktown.

Germany’s Isabel Ender was left speechless when as many as 20 Dwarf Minke Whales surrounded her and her fellow divers during a week-long Mike Ball dive expedition at Ribbon Reef nine and 10 near Cooktown.

"It was absolutely magical," Ms Ender said.

In Pictures: Minke whales frolic off the coast near Cooktown

"When you see them in real life, it’s totally unpredictable because they’re these big, beautiful animals that have something incredibly gentle about them."

Ms Ender said the whales were sighted near well-known dive spots Lighthouse Bommie and Two Towers.

"Some of them became really interested and come up to you and then they stop, turn around and show their belly," she said.

"They’re obviously trying to communicate something to you and we’re trying to figure out what that is."

The Master of Science (Marine Biology) student is currently conducting research into the behavioural patterns of Dwarf Minke Whales under JCU’s Minke Whale Project.

"It’s (the project) been going on since 1996…and over the last couple of years, we've had volunteer researchers on the dive boats, especially those with Mike Ball, to collect data on the Minke Whales," Ms Ender said.

"There’s a lot of different types of research going on, but all of its focusing on either the biological side of the whale or the sustainable tourism side."

In Pictures: Minke whales frolic off the coast near Cooktown

Ms Ender said the best chance to catch Minke Whales in action off the reef was between June and July.

Meanwhile, former ‘Best Job in the World’ winner Ben Southall is left last night (Thursday) on a similar dive expedition  with Mike Ball, as the Tourism Queensland ambassador goes in search of Minke Whales himself off the Great Barrier Reef.

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