Whale Watching Experience in Australia - Top 8 Locations

Australia is famous for its amazing wildlife. If you’re planning to spend your next vacation in this exceptional continent, you could already be looking forward to this unique experience. Nowhere else in the world will you find such welcoming locals, diverse landscapes, and chances to try out snorkelling or scuba diving alongside some of the most wonderful sea creatures. If sea creatures are what you want to see in the mist, you'll be happy to go whale watching as soon as you step on the Australian ground. Here are some of the most popular whale watching locations.

Great Barrier Reef

The world’s largest coral reef system is one of many locations well-known for spotting dwarf minke whales. On Australia’s north-eastern coast, you could be seeing these whales during June and July, as they only gather here for a couple of weeks.

You'll spot them easily since they are smaller than the common minke whale and they're mottled grey, black, and white. Even though we don't know much about their migration pattern or life cycle, you'll still be mesmerized just by seeing them.

Whitsundays

Another location in the Queensland, Whitsundays Islands makes for a perfect spot for watching the short-finned pilot whales. You could catch these whales frolicking here from May to September. What’s interesting about them is that you could see up to fifty of them, as they are highly social. Their pods usually consist of 15-50 whales.

Alongside short-finned pilot whales, you could also spot some humpbacks, which usually calve in the more protected waters. If you're really lucky, you may see a Ningaloo, an albino humpback, in these waters as well.

Eden

If you’re planning to vacate in September, October, or November, you shouldn’t miss Eden and its whale festival. The festival is the perfect chance for anyone to mingle around with other tourists and locals and to learn as much as possible about the whales and the area’s whaling history.

On the east coast of Australia, in New South Wales, in the charming town of Eden, you could spot pods of humpbacks during September-November, when they start migrating from tropical breeding grounds. These can be easily seen as they stay closer to the shore, but killer whales and sperm whales are usually further off the coast.

Albany

Another great location for spotting humpbacks is Albany. From June to November, these whales travel across Albany's bays to Broome. For a unique whale watching experience, Albany is a perfect choice, since there you could also visit the "Whale World".

This is an interactive museum where you could see and learn everything you want about these beautiful sea creatures. While there, you might also spot some southern right whales. They migrate north from Antarctica as well, but they stop at Albany’s southern bays to mate and give birth.

Victor Harbor

For anyone visiting South Australia and hoping to see some whales during their stay, Victor Harbor is the right place to begin the sight-seeing experience. As soon as June starts, southern right whales arrive in these waters to mate and calve.

You could catch them swimming close to shore until October. This region isn’t just a popular location for southern right whales. Orcas, sperm whales, humpbacks, and blue whales can occasionally be seen in the warm waters of South Australia.

Great Australian Bight Marine Park

Southern right whales are some of the most amazing species you could see while in Australia. As soon as you see them head-standing, you will be nothing but impressed. From May to October, these whales will mate, calve, and nurse their babies in the Head of Bight region.

You won't just see these waled tail lobbing or flipper slapping, you'll also hear them from the cliff tops. If you're looking for a diverse area, you'll adore the Great Australian Bight Marine Park due to the numerous dolphins, Australian sea lions, great white sharks, and many other species living there.

Port Stephens

The largest sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere is located in Port Stephens, alongside the 25 other golden sandy beaches. Up to 165 bottlenose dolphins live in the bay, but that isn’t the only species you’ll see while staying there.

Humpback whales will migrate through this bay to the north from June to August. You could also spot them from September to November when they start migrating back south.

Exmouth

Western Australia is another part of this beautiful county where you could admire some whales for a while. Namely, from April to July, you could spot whale sharks in Exmouth. They come here to feed on zooplankton living in these warm waters.

Whale sharks are the world’s biggest fish and they are known for growing up to 18m in length. They usually swim the world looking for food. If you happen to be near Exmouth, make sure to visit the Ningaloo Reef and see them while they’re there.

Conclusion

Whale watching is an amazing experience. Make sure to bring your family to this once in a lifetime experience and share it with the people you love the most. Don’t forget to check out the rest of Australia’s natural beauties as well!