Village Roadshow, owner of Sea World on Australia’s Gold Coast, has announce that the park is to team up with New Zealand-based Whale Watch Kaikoura to bring a new whale watching experience to the Gold Coast.

Whale Watch Kaikoura is to invest AUS$5m (3m euro, US$4.4m, £2.15m) in the venture, which includes the construction in Queensland of a 24m, custom designed whale watching vessel which can seat 100 passengers and will operate between June and November – during the annual Humpback Whale migration past the Gold Coast.

It is scheduled to launch in May 2008.

Sea World, through its Research and Rescue Foundation, has conducted internationally recognised research studies, promoting marine education and rescuing Humpback Whales which have become stranded or entangled in nets.

Whale Watch chairman Wally Stone said: "We are very impressed that in Sea World we have found a partner that also has enormous experience with marine mammals and the business of tourism.

“We both share a common philosophy that cherishes the twin values of hospitality to visitors and reverence for the natural world.”

Sea World CEO John Menzies added: "This approach dovetails perfectly into the traditional values that we have used to build our successful Sea World marine park and will without doubt see extraordinary success for our new whale watching venture.”