Whale watching season in Australia: when and where to go

Every year tens of thousands of whales travel along the Australian coastline. Humpbacks head north in winter to breed and give birth in warm tropical waters, then return south in spring to feed in Antarctica. Southern right whales come close to the southern coast to calve in sheltered bays. These movements make Australia one of the best places in the world for whale watching, both from boats and from headlands.

This guide explains when the whales pass each coast, where to watch in every state and how to choose an operator that follows the rules. For more about the animals themselves, see our humpback whale profile.

The whales you are likely to see

Humpback whales

Humpbacks are the main attraction on both the east and west coasts. They are famous for acrobatics such as breaching, tail-slapping and pectoral-fin slapping, and males sing complex songs during the breeding season. Humpback numbers along Australia's coasts have recovered strongly since commercial whaling ended. In 2022 the east Australian population was removed from the national threatened species list, though humpbacks remain protected.

Southern right whales

Southern rights are large, dark, slow-moving whales with no dorsal fin and distinctive pale callosities on their heads. Females come into shallow, sheltered bays along the southern coast to give birth and nurse their calves, sometimes very close to shore. Southern right whales are still listed as Endangered nationally.

Other species

Depending on place and season, you may also see minke whales, blue whales such as the pygmy blue whales off parts of Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia, orcas, and many species of dolphin. Sightings of these are less predictable.

When to go: the migration by coast

Timing varies with ocean conditions, so treat these as guides. Local tourism offices and whale-sighting networks publish real-time updates during the season.

The best places to see whales

Queensland

• Hervey Bay: sheltered by K'gari (Fraser Island), Hervey Bay is a resting place where humpbacks, particularly mothers with calves, linger on their way south. This often means long, close encounters. Many operators run half-day tours from the Urangan Boat Harbour.
• Gold Coast and Brisbane: boat tours run from the Gold Coast and from Moreton Bay. Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) is a superb land-based lookout.
• Sunshine Coast: tours from Mooloolaba, and lookouts such as Point Cartwright and Noosa Heads.

New South Wales

• Byron Bay: Cape Byron, the most easterly point of mainland Australia, is one of the best land-based lookouts on the coast.
• Port Stephens, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour: popular tour departures with good headland views.
• Sydney: tours run from Circular Quay and Manly, and North Head, South Head and the coastal walks are good lookouts.
• Eden and the Sapphire Coast: the town of Eden has a long whaling history and now celebrates whales with a festival. In spring, whales sometimes feed in Twofold Bay.

Victoria

• Warrnambool: Logans Beach has a viewing platform overlooking a southern right whale nursery, where mothers and calves often stay for weeks during winter.
• Phillip Island and Wilsons Promontory: humpbacks and southern rights are sometimes seen offshore.

South Australia

• Head of Bight: on the Nullarbor coast, this is one of the most famous southern right whale calving sites in Australia, with boardwalks and lookouts above the cliffs.
• Encounter Bay and Victor Harbor: southern rights are often seen close to shore in winter. The South Australian Whale Centre at Victor Harbor tracks sightings.

Western Australia

• Albany: humpbacks and southern rights in King George Sound, a former whaling station now home to a whaling history museum.
• Augusta and Cape Leeuwin: whales round the cape at the junction of the Indian and Southern oceans.
• Perth, Fremantle and Rottnest Island: tours during the humpback migration.
• Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth: humpbacks pass close to the reef. In some years licensed operators offer in-water swims under strict permits.

Tasmania

• East coast and Hobart: humpbacks and southern rights are sometimes seen in Storm Bay, the Derwent estuary and along the east coast during the migration.

Watching from land

You do not need a boat to see whales. Headlands with high vantage points and deep water nearby are best. Tips for land-based watching:

• Go in the morning, when the sea is often calmer and blows are easier to spot.
• Look for blows, the misty spouts of exhaled air. They can be seen from kilometres away on a calm day.
• Watch for splashes, which may be breaches or tail-slaps.
• Bring binoculars and a hat, and be patient. Whales surface intermittently.
• Choose a lookout with a wide view of the horizon and the water below.

Choosing a responsible whale-watching tour

Whale watching from boats is regulated in Australia. National guidelines set minimum approach distances and behaviour rules for vessels, swimmers, aircraft and drones. Most states enforce them through their own laws. Good operators:

• Follow approach distances, including the larger distances that apply to mothers with calves.
• Approach slowly from the side and behind, never head-on, and do not cut across a whale's path.
• Limit time with each group of whales and avoid crowding them with other vessels.
• Let the whales approach, rather than chasing them.
• Provide good interpretation about whale biology and conservation.

Look for operators with ecotourism accreditation and a strong reputation. If an operator promises guaranteed close encounters or in-water contact outside permitted programs, consider that a warning sign.

Drones, kayaks and personal watercraft

Private boats, kayaks, jet skis and drones are subject to the same principles as tour boats, and in many cases additional restrictions. Jet skis are often required to stay much further away. Drone rules also include aviation regulations. Check your state's marine park or environment agency website before you head out.

What to bring on a whale tour

• Warm and waterproof layers. It is often colder and windier on the water than on shore.
• Seasickness remedies, taken before departure if you are prone.
• Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses with a strap.
• A camera with a zoom lens, and a cloth to wipe off spray.

Combine whales with other wildlife

Whale season overlaps with excellent wildlife experiences on land. Phillip Island combines winter whales with its little penguins. The Great Ocean Road combines southern rights at Warrnambool with wild koalas at Kennett River. Hervey Bay combines whales with K'gari's dingoes and birdlife. See our koala guide, our little penguins profile and the wildlife hub for more ideas.