Have you ever wanted to get up and personal with one of the gentle giants of the deep? Is seeing whales as they travel through the Gold Coast waters on their annual migration routes on your bucket list? Then now is the time to experience this magical activity!
Whale Watching Season
The 2020 Gold Coast whale watching season is just beginning and will run until November. The best times to almost guarantee sightings would be early June to late October, which is when most whale watching tour boats operate.
Over the last decade or so, the Gold Coast has enjoyed the longest whale watching season in Australia, and the Eastern Coast of Australia has become what is known as the ‘Humpback Highway’. Regardless of how prepared you think you are for a whale sighting, if you are lucky enough to find a traffic jam on this highway it will be an experience you will never forget!
What To Expect
Around 25,000 humpback whales travel on a migratory route from Antarctica, past Tasmania and swim through Byron Bay, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast. They then head on to the subtropical North Queensland waters each year to mate and give birth in the beautiful warm waters from Hervey Bay, right up to the Great Barrier Reef.
The large numbers of migrating whales means that your chances of spotting these charismatic animals is actually guaranteed by most whale watching vessels. You can expect to see the mighty male humpbacks earlier in the season, as they lead the charge, ensuring the migration route is safe for the rest of their pod. The females and calves follow their males along the migratory route, moving more slowly as the calves tend to enjoy frolic a bit more than the males.
You need to have your camera ready as you never know when they are going to appear! You may catch a glimpse in the distance of a huge whale tail slapping the ocean, or a calf coming up to check out what type of animal you are, but if you are one of the lucky ones you could experience a close up view of a huge creature breaching right out of the water and crashing back down into the ocean.
The Best Way To Experience Whale Watching On The Gold Coast
Whatever you think you will feel when you see one of these majestic beauties, you can double it and then some. It is an indescribable moment when it occurs. When you feel like you can just stretch out and touch this giant of the sea, or when you are eye to eye with a humpback whale as it glides silently past your vessel, checking you out.
So you have to make sure that you arrive at the Gold Coast at the right time and the right place to be able to enjoy this experience to the fullest. Coomera Houseboats want to make sure that you have an unforgettable whale watching trip, and there are a couple of ways this can happen.
The whales follow their migratory routes along the east coast of Australia and as the Coomera Houseboat cruising area does not include oceanside cruising, unless you stumble across a whale taking a slight detour, you will need to anchor up and head out to enjoy your whale watching experience.
Whale Watching From A Tour Boat
The best way to enjoy a guaranteed, up close and personal, humpback experience, is to take to the ocean and get out on the Humpback Highway by booking a trip with one of the many whale watching tour boats along the Gold Coast.
There are a couple of tours that operate from Runaway Bay Marina, which is within the Coomera Houseboat cruising area, and this means you don’t have to travel far to start your whale watching experience. Check with the Coomera Houseboat staff and they can let you know the best place to anchor up close to Runaway Bay Marina.
Sea The Gold Coast
If you enjoy thrill seeking and the adrenaline rush of being right alongside a humpback whale in a small boat sounds like your idea of a perfect day, then ‘Sea The Gold Coast’ that departs from Runaway Bay has a small boat whale watching adventure that would be perfect for you. https://seathegoldcoast.com.au/
Spirit Of Gold Coast Whale Watching
For those, who think that they would prefer a bigger boat then thankfully there are many other options, such as the Spirit of Gold Coast Whale Watching. This tour has a great track record when it comes to sighting ‘Migaloo’, the famous Gold Coast white whale. They also offer a guaranteed whale sighting, which means you will be offered a free trip if the whales are elusive and you don’t see any on your cruise.
This tour departs from Mariner Mirage twice a day, so make sure you chat to our Coomera Houseboat staff before you leave and we will show you where you should anchor and the best way to get to marina mirage that will fit in with your holiday plans. If you choose the 9:30am departure then you can maybe do a Main Beach excursion/swim/surf when you get back, before you head back to your Coomera Houseboat.
On Shore Whale Spotting
A different option, for those of you who don’t fancy an ocean tour but would still love to catch a glimpse of one of these magnificent creatures, is to set yourself up in the perfect position along the coastline and have your binoculars and camera ready.
From Main Beach right down to the Queensland/NSW border and beyond, there are beautiful spots where you can set up a picnic and enjoy a swim or a walk, and keep an eye on the water for the tell-tale splashes. You can choose a place with a good view, that will suit the activities you would like to enjoy while you wait for the Humpback Highway to offer up a photo opportunity you will treasure!
Whale Watching During Your Houseboat Holiday
Coomera Houseboats love to be able to make every visitor’s holiday experience match or exceed their expectations. Make sure you let us know if a whale sighting is on your bucket list, and discuss the various options with our team if you are not sure which way to go.
If you want to head for places that are outside our cruising area we can let you know the best way for your crew to get there. From trams, to rental bikes, to water taxis or Uber … getting to your preferred departure spot so you can experience whale watching is absolutely do-able from your Coomera Houseboat.
The whales are coming, are you ready?