Tourist rescued after falling overboard from a Kokomo Cruises boat while on Gold Coast whale watching cruise

A woman has been rescued after a terrifying ordeal during a whale watching cruise boat off the Queensland coast.

The tourist fell overboard from a Kokomo Cruises vessel as visitors gathered to watch a pod of whales on the Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon.

She clutched to a lifebuoy ring, and her phone as shocked others onboard helped her back onto the boat.

Kokomo Cruise founder Nic Jones said the woman went overboard after her jacket became tangled in a locking pin on the boat's gate.  

'At the end of the cruise as she went to go back to her seat, it unlocked the gate and threw her off balance simultaneously,' he told the Gold Coast Bulletin. 

'It was a very shocking incident – thank goodness she is absolutely okay.' 

It's understood the woman was visiting from Gatton in south-east Queensland's Lockyer Valley.

Another tourism operator, Whale Watch Queensland, saw the incident unfold and stepped in to assist in the rescue.

Whale Watch Queensland owner Gemma Sharp said they slowed down and approached the woman.

'She was on our right-hand side and we basically reached out with a gaff, which is a long stick with a hook on the end, so she grabbed onto that,' she told 9News.

Ms Sharp said they gently pulled the woman down to their doorway, where her sister and father lifted her her back up onto the boat.  

Kokomo Cruises will prepare a report for the maritime safety authority. 

The company also thanked Whale Watch Queensland for their assistance.