Frequently Asked Questions

Will I see a Whale?

Most of the whale watching tour operators guarantee whale sightings during their tour. The terms of the guarantee depends on the operator. If you have any questions please contact us.

Is morning or afternoon better for whale watching?

There is no difference in terms of whale behaviour in the morning compared to the afternoon. When selecting a departure time choose the tour that best suits your needs.

What happens if the weather is bad on the day of our booking?

In the event that an operator cancels a tour or closes an attraction due to adverse weather conditions the operator will contact you as soon as they know this will happen. At that time the operator will reorganise a time with you, provide a courtesy return ticket or issue a refund.

Please contact the operator if you are concerned about the weather conditions prior to your tour.

What if I get sea sick?

Most of the whale watching vessels are purpose built for whale watching. This includes providing a comfortable and stable platform for passengers to view from. If you do experience motion sickness some boats provide motion-sickness tablets onboard but many do not due to licensing restrictions, we would suggest visiting a pharmacist prior to your cruise for piece of mind.

What should I wear on my whale watching cruise?

Whale watching generally takes place during the winter months. For this reason, we recommend dressing appropriately or at least taking warm clothing with you. Conditions at seas can often feel colder than on land. Please wear flat shoes for safely moving around the vessel especially when close to the edge. We also recommend taking a sun hat, sun glasses and sun screen.

Don’t forget your camera, you’ll need it!

Can I swim with the whales?

Some whale watch operators advertise swim with the whale or submersible whale watch experiences. In most cases these involve an in-water platform that guests enter whilst the whales are more than 100m away. This technique has proved very successful. It is a safe option for passengers and the whales.

A limited number of operators provide actual swim with the whales experiences where guest enter the water unaided or attached to a line. Again the whales must be more than 100m away when passengers enter the water. The goal is that the whales will approach them more closely.

Ultimately the success of a whale swim experience is at the discretion of the whales.

Will the whales be close enough to touch?

Whale watching vessels are not permitted to approach within 100m of a whale. However, there is nothing to stop the curious whales approaching the boat more closely and they often will.

In Hervey bay in particular, a stationary boat will often be approached very closely by many whales in a behaviour know as mugging. Whilst the whales often will be close enough to touch you are not allowed to do so.

Where can I learn more facts about the whales?

We have a comprehensive whale information section on our dedicated whale watching website here.

Can I fly a drone from the whale watching boat?

Unfortunately, this it is not possible to operator a private drone from a commercial whale watching vessel.