Whale Watching Tour from Newcastle: An Encounter with Humpback Whales in the Wild
4.9
129 Ratings
Newcastle
Embark on a thrilling whale watching tour from Newcastle and witness the majestic humpback whales in their natural habitat. Prebook now for an unforgettable encounter with these magnificent creatures.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- 3-3A Honeysuckle Dr - Enjoy close encounters with Humpback Whales along the Hunter Coast. The tour showcases the stunning Newcastle and Lake Macquarie coastline from the water with an added focus on searching for whales, dolphins and seals!
Departing from Newcastle Harbour, visit some of the key landmarks along the Hunter Coastline, before heading offshore on an adventure boat ride in search of migrating humpback whales. Annually, humpback whales pass the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie coastline in strong numbers (up to 35,000 individuals).
Keep a close eye out for some of their fascinating behaviours including pectoral fin slapping on the surface of the water, fluke or tail slapping and of course breaching!! As humpback whales are wild mammals, should you not encounter a whale on your tour, the CoastXP team will welcome you back on board free of charge (within the same season).
What's Included
- Premium weatherproof jackets provided
- Water and Juice
- Including GST and booking fees
- Professional Guide
What's Not Included
- Any parking or transport fees
Additional Information
Secure your spot in advance and enjoy the unique experience of seeing humpback whales in their native environment during a whale-spotting cruise departing from Newcastle. Travel aboard an eco-conscious vessel into the expansive open sea to witness the humpbacks in their natural surroundings, while acquiring knowledge about their instinctive behaviors through the boat’s commentary, which maintains a safe space. Additionally, keep an eye out for dolphins and seals, and soak in the stunning coastal landscape as you gain insights into local landmarks, traditions, and history.
- Experience the sight of humpback whales in their natural setting during a whale observation cruise departing from Newcastle
- Prebook and ensure your spot at a convenient time and day that aligns with your holiday schedule
- Get up close with humpbacks, gain knowledge about them and the coastal landscape from a tour guide
- Provision were made for wet-weather gears and a range of departure times for added convenience
- CoastXP is a certified business committed to quality and sustainability in tourism
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Children under 3 not allowed
Location
3-3A Honeysuckle Dr
Honeysuckle Drive
Tours depart from Harbour Square Boat Dock, out the front of Rydges Newcastle, on the Honeysuckle Foreshore.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(129 Ratings)
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Guide307503
Oct 13, 2023
Best whale watching experience - Well organised. Our skipper, Jane, had a wealth of information. We saw 3 playful whales, 2 pods of dolphins, schools of spawning fish and a New Zealand fur seal. The tour boat was easy to access, comfortable and had uninterrupted views. Comfortable weather jackets are supplied. The Newcastle coastline is stunning.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tracey0421
Sep 18, 2023
Fantastic experience, great commentary and would highly recommend - We were privileged to see seals and whales on their southbound and northbound journey. Fantastic experience. Water and juice provided
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jamespw1493hf
Sep 13, 2023
A whale of a time - Fantastic trip from start to finish. Our guide made us all feel safe with a thorough briefing. The boat was amazing. We were issued with fantastic coats that kept us warm and dry. We had hoped to catch a glimpse of a whale and we were not disappointed. Within 10 minutes the guide found a mother with her calf. Everyone was over the moon. Then throughout the remaining time we observed 5 more adults. This has been a most memorable experience. We highly recommend it. 10/10
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Goplaces16764385840
Sep 6, 2023
Excellent experience - We recently had a fantastic experience with CoastXP and highly recommend them. Our guide was very knowledgeable and excellent at navigating the boat when conditions got a little bumpy.
We will definitely book another tour with CoastXP in the future.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Happiness47573714841
Aug 22, 2023
Amazing - Our guide Tracy was amazing and very mindful of the whales and their migration route, behaviour and routine. Whales were a bit shy today but we saw a lot of them, took pictures etc and we looked for them and follow them a bit. However, it was really important to me that their space was respected and not invaded in order to please the tourists. They were not so keen to jump around today and that is okay! Thank you for thinking of the animals first ❤️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
900johnn
Aug 2, 2023
Quite Stunning ..do it! - Early August afforded my husband a well-earned couple of days leave -we chose Whale Watching with Coast XP & we cannot speak too highly of everything about the trip...AND we were lucky >.even scored a breach!
But it couldnt have mattered >> An amazing purpose-built craft, sensible over-clothing provided & serious attention to our safety meant we all were thrilled just to go out & see what the ocean would show us .. snoozing Seals, bomb-diving Gannets reluctant Dolphins & ,, those magnificent Humpbacks.
We scored.
Everyone should do this! Its a privilege going out,,,,& no trip could be better managed than Coast XP
Thank you so very much!
## & even though we were nearly late for departure, no irritation whatsoever was evidenced by our(!) timing error, & every effort was made to ensure were included . Which indeed we were! Gracious & courteous..professional & friendly ..this is the real deal!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laurencem1462
Jul 28, 2023
Exciting boat ride in rough conditions lucky to see whales so close. - We were fortunate that despite bad winds up to 30knots. We still witnessed 3 huge female whales still heading up x coast. Take your spray jackets.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nualao190
Jul 27, 2023
Wonderful experience sightseeing Whales and Dolphins. - Such a wonderful experience. Firstly, I have to say how nice it was of our boat guide to wait for me after I got a little delayed trying to park. He helped me find a place and waited a little past 9 am for me to join the boat. And I'm so glad he did. We saw loads of common Dolphins swimming by the boat and leaping out of the water. And we had two Whale spots, a mother and calf and a lone male. The latter was far away, but seeing these incredible creatures in the wild is fantastic. I can highly recommend CoastXP.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Josquinc2023
Jul 16, 2023
A Whale of a time with CoastXP :) - Hi,
We selected CoastXP for their strong reputation and were not disappointed!
The experience was super smooth, boat new, and very safe. Keep in mind we did the experience with our 2 kids: 8 & 3 y/o.
We saw our first whale within the first 15mn out of the harbor and were blessed with a long close up as we were following one (or two?) Humpback whale.
The coastal view from the sea is a bonus too!
Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wanderer14780873106
Sep 18, 2023
Cruise to see whale’s only saw mother and calf and one seal operator tried her best but not much around - Tried hard to find whales covered lots of areas only mother and calf
Sights we great and she kept trying to find wild life but not much success
Review provided by Tripadvisor
