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Sydney Whale Watching: See Humpback and Right Whales
4.3
174 Ratings
Sydney
Experience the thrill of a Sydney whale-watching cruise and witness the majestic humpback and southern right whales in their natural habitat. Don’t miss out on this awe-inspiring and unforgettable adventure!
Experience the thrill of a Sydney whale-watching cruise and witness the majestic humpback and southern right whales in their natural habitat. Don’t miss out on this awe-inspiring and unforgettable adventure!
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Circular Quay Wharf 6 - Whale Watching cruises are an extraordinary opportunity to see the gentle giants of the sea on their annual migration. Your cruise begins from Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour and makes its way past the Opera House, the beautiful eastern suburbs and outside the Harbour headlands to open water. Southern Right, Orca and Minke…
- Circular Quay Wharf 6 - Whale Watching cruises are an extraordinary opportunity to see the gentle giants of the sea on their annual migration. Your cruise begins from Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour and makes its way past the Opera House, the beautiful eastern suburbs and outside the Harbour headlands to open water. Southern Right, Orca and Minke Whales all visit Sydney’s coastline, but it’s the Humpbacks that come in great numbers and love to show off with breaches, tail slaps and even a sneaky wink when they are feeling extra curious.
What's Included
- 2.5-hour whale watching cruise
- Live commentary on board
- 2.5-hour whale watching cruise
- Live commentary on board
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks (available to purchase)
Additional Information
Experience the breathtaking sight of humpback and southern right whales frolicking on a Sydney whale-watching cruise. Departing from Circular Quay, this adventure takes you through the entrance of Sydney Harbour into the vast Pacific Ocean in search of these majestic creatures. The catamaran’s open-air viewing decks provide clear, unobstructed views,…
Experience the breathtaking sight of humpback and southern right whales frolicking on a Sydney whale-watching cruise. Departing from Circular Quay, this adventure takes you through the entrance of Sydney Harbour into the vast Pacific Ocean in search of these majestic creatures. The catamaran’s open-air viewing decks provide clear, unobstructed views, offering the best chance to observe and admire the whales. Encountering these gentle giants up close is a truly inspiring experience not to be missed. With a record number of whales expected to migrate along Sydney’s coastline this season, there will be ample opportunities for sightings and capturing stunning photographs!
This seasonal activity runs from mid-May to early November each year.
- Please dress appropriately and wear warm clothing. It will often feel cooler at sea
- If you are susceptible to travel sickness, please bring the relevant medication
- Whale Guarantee: If a whale is not sighted during your cruise, you’ll be given the opportunity to cruise again for free
- Reconfirmation Hotline - Call +61-2-8062 3623 from 7.15am on the day of your cruise to confirm the cruise is going ahead. Cruises may be cancelled subject to weather conditions.
- Not recommended for travelers 3 years and younger
Location
Circular Quay Wharf 6
Please check in at least 20 minutes prior to departure to collect tickets from the ticket office located at the departure wharf Circular Quay Wharf 6.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(174 Ratings)
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Wambui_o
Jul 20, 2025
Just wow!!! More than we expected. - This was an excellent boat tour. We had 3 sightings of whales flapping their tails at great proximity. Not sure why I was expecting humpback whales jumping out of the water 😂 but what we saw was still great. The boat ride was a thrill in itself if you don’t get sea sick. Multiple ppl were sea sick and bag were provided ahead of time so there were no accidents 🥴. The view leaving the city, or the landscape while looking for seals and back to the city was excellent. Saw Sydney Opera house from different view that on land. I mostly took videos.
Review provided by Viator
Leona_s
Jul 20, 2025
Great Whale Watching Experience! - Definitely worth it! We saw two whales and kind of followed them but were mostly standing still, so it was quite nice to watch. Gina and Kai (I think these were their names) were our guides and they were super knowledgeable about the behaviors of the whales and they were super kind, I got seasick though so if you have a weak stomach like me, be prepared! They hand out bags in the beginning though.
Review provided by Viator
Jane_h
Jul 19, 2025
Whales close up! - We were lucky to see lots of whales very close up. It was an exciting experience. One of the stand out features apart from the whales, was the young man (Kia?), he was brilliant. Helping people and generally making the trip even more enjoyable.
Review provided by Viator
W1385cjjosieb
Jul 12, 2025
Amazing! - This trip was amazing! Got to see multiple whales and one came especially close! The commentator was lovely and informative. Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karrst
Jun 23, 2025
An excellent and amazing trip!!! - What a way to spend a morning with these amazing mammals.
When we boarded at Circular quay, the vessel was already quite full, with no room on the top deck. Not that it mattered in the end.
A cruise through Sydney Harbour to start is always a special trip. Then out through the Heads and into the ocean. Originally we were informed that we would have to sail quite a way out to pick up the migrating whales as it was we came across a couple of female not far out from the harbour.
Cruising at 6 knots to keep pace with them is a great experience and you soon get to be able to work out when they will surface as well as watching the surface of the sea for their wakes. The vessel has to keep a good distance from the whales safety and to ensure that they are not disturbed.
You are provided with some great commentary as to what the whales are doing and what to look out for, as well some of the behavior you may see. The experts on board really know their subjects.
In all we saw a number of females, some with calves and were witness to some absorbing displays of tail and flipper splashing. although we didn't get a "breaching" it was still a great experience.
However as we returned we were met by a number of large males, who were intent on coming to see us on the boat. As they approached us it was obvious that they were curious. We have seen this with Grey Seals on the Scottish coast and Elephant and Rhino in the SA bush. If they don't feel threatened they will come closer to you. It is simply awesome when it happens. As we watched them come closer and swim under the vessel one actually "popped" his head out of the water for a closer look. To see this magnificent mammal so close up was jaw dropping, words cannot express the moment.
Going out to see these magnificent mammals is definitely something to plan if you visit Sydney or anywhere along the east coast during the migration months.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roaming_ranger_123
Jun 22, 2025
A whale super highway - What fantasyic day whale watching with an experienced crew on a large and stable twin hulled ship. Our guide kept us well informed and entertained as we got up close to several pods of humpback whales. The whole operation ran smoothly and we totally enjoyed our day on the water watching these large majestic animals.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yubraj_b
Jul 21, 2025
Lovely sight - Wonderful experience
Would have been more fun if there were few more dives by whales.
Loved it.
Must go to see world largest mammals once in a life.
Review provided by Viator
Jasonr902
Jun 24, 2025
Wonderful experience. - Wonderful experience, but seeing a whale is not guaranteed. We were fortunate enough to see two whales breaching, which we were told is quite rare. The kids loved it, but if they have motion sickness, just remember that even on the calmest days the swell will probably get them.
Great staff, friendly and so helpful. Considering the voyage and what you experience the cost wasn't too bad for a family of four.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicole_j
Jul 5, 2025
Good not great - I tend to gravitate away from large group tours. I think the captain was great. I just think the ship doesn't have enough open space for the amount of people that want to see. People tend to shove which is just not something I care for, not necessarily the hostess fault however a smaller tour would have been better for me.
Review provided by Viator
Pratik_g
Jul 21, 2025
Worst Tour ever done - Worst experience. Don't go. The lady doesn't know anythign about whales. There is no guarantee that you will see a whale. They say there is a whale guarantee. But, if you don't see any whales, you have to take the tour again and they won't refund or offer alternate cruise options. Like this company runs different tours, but you must take only whale watching tour. And almost half of the people on cruise will vomit as the waters are rough. Do not. I repeat. Do not go on this tour. Avoid it at all costs.
Review provided by Viator
