Wednesday, 7 June 2023

World Oceans Day is 8 June and what better way to celebrate than watching whales along the humpback highway.

Whales are making their way north to warmer waters and you’ll find fantastic whale watching vantage points and tours along the Northern Beaches.

Whale migration is between May and November and these majestic creatures are visible just off our coastline as they head north towards their breeding grounds.

There are over 40 species of whales that travel through Aussie waters each year, but if you're spotting from our headlands it'll most likely be a humpback or a southern right whale.

Out at sea and on land, you’ll get some great views - particularly good vantage spots are Manly’s North Head, the top of Long Reef headland, Curly boardwalk and Barrenjoey Lighthouse. You’ll need to be patient – take a blanket, thermos and binoculars if you have them and settle in.

Whale spotting tips:

  • Head out on a clear day
  • Middle of winter is the peak season for whales passing Sydney
  • Look for the blow, particularly on still days when the plume can hang in the air
  • On windy days whales tend to breach more often
  • Look for a big splash (which probably means you just missed a whale breaching)
  • Keep an eye on deeper waters, you'll have a better chance of a whale breaching because they need depth of water to gain the momentum to get up and breach out of the water