Whale Watching in Sydney

For an unforgettable experience, spot majestic whales along the beautiful Sydney coast. Thousands of whales migrate annually from May to November. From headlands and viewing platforms on the coast and on whale-watching cruises, see frolicking humpbacks and spy-hopping southern rights.

In Sydney and its surrounds, there are 38 vantage points on land to watch whales. The Wild About Whales website lists all the locations and you can download the app to your phone. EcoTreasures offers whale-watching walking tours to headlands on the Manly and Northern Beaches coastline.

Cape Solander in Kamay Botany Bay National Park is one of the best vantage points and has a public viewing platform for you to enjoy the experience. The gorgeous cliff-top walking trails from Bondi to Coogee and the Federation Cliff Walk offer fantastic opportunities, as does pretty Clovelly Beach.

Take the ferry across sparkling Sydney Harbour to Manly for the North Head lookout, another superb location to watch whales migrating. Farther north are Bangalley Head at Avalon Beach and Palm Beach lighthouse on Barrenjoey Head for more great views of these marine mammals in their element.

For closer encounters, whale-watching cruises depart from Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Manly for the ocean. Some of the boat tours include Captain Cook Cruises, Fantasea Cruising, Bass and Flinders Cruises, Oz Whale Watching, Manly Whale Watching and Manly Ocean Adventures.

In the open ocean, with the Sydney’s sandstone cliffs as backdrop, you may be lucky enough to catch a humpback whale breaching – launching itself out of the ocean. Other awesome sights are whales lifting their head out of the water, called spy-hopping, and mothers and calves playing together.