Boat trips · WHALE WATCHING CRUISES IN AUSTRALIA
Good whale watching cruises in Australia fill up weeks ahead and the calm mornings go first. Below: the 11 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Review of Sydney’s 165-minute whale watching cruise, with practical tips on seasickness, whale sightings, value, decks, and Sydney Harbour views.
“Absolutely amazing, saw so many whales. But if you get motion sickness.. I would come prepared”
Review of Brisbane’s five-hour whale cruise from Redcliffe, with humpbacks, lunch, commentary, pickup options, seating upgrades, and practical tips.
“Loved seeing the whales up close and watching the whales breaching was the highlight. We also enjoyed the enthusiasm of the crew for their job and the love for the whales.”
Review of Freedom III’s six-hour Hervey Bay whale cruise, with whale sightings, meals, practical tips, pricing, comfort, and booking advice.
“Freedom whale watching in my opinion are the best, staff are exceptional, knowledgeable and the whales, well they were just fantastic, lots of them, close to the boat and they gave us an amazing display. The food , morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea was lovely, plenty of it so no need to rush to make sure you could fill your plate. Overall a fantastic day, thank you Freedom.”
Review of Sydney’s four-hour whale-watching cruise, with harbour sights, breakfast or BBQ lunch, whale-season tips, seasickness advice, and value guidance.
“Absolutely amazing!!! The breakfast was delicious! Service was excellent! The person doing the commentary was great and very informative! I saw SEVERAL whales and several dolphins! Such a beautiful experience!”
Review of Sydney’s 2-hour express whale watching cruise from Circular Quay, with boat details, wildlife tips, pricing, comfort, and honest advice.
“Had a lovely time on this trip. It was just the right length of time and the captain and crew were helpful and knowledgeable regarding humpback whales. We were so fortunate enough to see about 4 pods who seemed comfortable enough to be on the surface really close to the boat. A really good experience.”
Review of Sydney’s Whale Tales cruise, with small groups, expert commentary, whale guarantee, Harbour views, tips, price, and practical advice.
“This is ideal for people short of time, we saw at least 3 different adult humpback whales and two calfs, as well as,a dolphin, really good.”
Review the Fremantle luxury whale-watching cruise, with practical advice on whales, boat comfort, value, timing, seasickness, and family appeal.
“Great tour to see humpback whales up close. A baby whale and her mother felt safe around the boat and hung around it for a long time interacting and surfacing often. The tour operators treat the whales with love and respect.”
Review of Brisbane’s Eye Spy whale cruise, with humpback sightings, lunch, Captain Kerry, transport tips, price value, and practical advice.
“The whales were truly amazing, and at one point I was confused about which way to look. But, it was shorter than the specified time. You only get to watch the whales for an hour. Lunch should be served after you've fully returned. It's not good to squeeze in a meal instead of watching the whales. Just watch the whales without eating.”
Review of Gold Coast whale watching with Sea World Cruises, including whale sightings, boat comfort, seasickness tips, value, and practical details.
“We had an amazing experience with two different sets of mother and calves. the first pair were incredibly energetic and breeching continuously. The second pair were a bit more shy and went silent after a few breeches. Overall, I think this experience depends a lot on your luck and the whale's mood. But if both of them are riding your way, then you'll have an outworldly experience with these majestic beauties.”
Review of Busselton, Augusta and Dunsborough whale watching, with seasonal tips, boat details, wildlife, value and practical advice.
“Amazing, very lucky to have 4 whales swimming around the boat and to have them tail flicking. It’s called mugging and the guides were super knowledgeable. Special shout out to Paul for everything he done and steering the boat. Was more than a 5* experience”
Review of Hervey Bay’s $84 half-day whale cruise, with expert commentary, open-deck views, tea, parking, and whale sightings.
“Great commentary, crew all friendly and informative and all helped by fantastic weather and obliging whales who were out in force”
River hour, cave run, whale ground or a deck with lunch on it.
