6 Things I Learnt on a Gold Coast Whale Watching Tour 

Casey’s first whale watching tour felt more like a ‘spiritual’ meet and greet than a tour and he’ll be doing it again this whale season. Here’s why.

We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Yugumbeh people, who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

It’s so quiet I can hear the newborn whale’s fin splash the surface as it rolls over in the water, mimicking its mother.

I’m so close I can see the individual barnacles on the huge mother Humpback’s back as she floats calmly in the water beside her newborn.

I’m also on a tour. But it’s not what I expected.

Wardjam means ‘whale’ in the local Yugumbeh language | @fungshuay

It’s dead silent on the main deck. The captain has cut the engines and we’re bobbing gently in the water. The dozens of people around me are also silent and still.

After what feels like both seconds and hours of quiet, Captain Wayne calls over the mic:

No Zoom Lens Needed

I swap over to my zoom lens as the boat leaves the breakwalls of Mariner’s Cove. I enviously eye some of the bigger zoom lenses and smart people who’ve brought binoculars.

We all frantically take photos of the first few Humpback whales that pop out of the water in the distance. I realise that I’m holding my camera like a cocked rifle and have to remind myself that there are at least two hours to get more photos.

After another few sightings and probably a hundred more photos, the captain says he thinks he’s spotted something special.

Sea World Cruises strictly abides by Australian Maritime Laws, regarding operating around marine mammals – keeping a safe and respectful distance of at least 100m – but those laws don’t apply to the whales.

Everyone should see this for themselves at least once

‘We want to go whale watching but the whales want to go people watching’, Captain Wayne Garnham tells me after we dock.

‘A lot of people expect to see them a mile away, they bring their binoculars, but they just can’t believe how they’ll [the whales] come up to the boat and interact with us.’

Experience Matters

Unlike Whale shark tours, there are no spotting planes or jet skis, to keep things as calm as possible for the migrating herd of Humpbacks.

So having an experienced captain and crew is vital for the best sightings for guests and the safest and most pleasant interactions for the whales.

Captain Wayne Garnham has been piloting whale watching boats for 20 years and certainly knows the ropes.

‘We see whales coming over to the boat all the time. As you witnessed today, those mothers were very comfortable with us being close; they even came over to us with their calves.’

‘Like us, some mums are very protective and some are very happy for their children to jump in puddles and get dirty’, he explains.

Sea World Cruises is the OG whale watching tour operator and has been running for more than 40 years from the Gold Coast.

Oh, that’s why they call it the ‘Gold’ Coast | @fungshuay

Conservation Success

As we learn onboard, Humpback whales are a rare conservation success story.

In the early 1960s, when whaling stations were finally closed in Byron Bay and on Moreton Island, the East Coast Humpback whale population had been decimated to just a few hundred individuals.

But since stopping the brutal practice, that same population is now estimated to be 40,000 strong and growing. Seeing whales up close is part of that success story, both in raising people’s awareness and through funding conservation efforts.

Proceeds from each of the tickets sold by Sea World Cruises go directly to the Sea World Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that funds marine conservation.

Today there are marine biologists onboard researching the whales up close, and the crew of the aptly named Spirit of Migaloo II are all avid marine fans.

Maisie Jacobson is a crew member on board | @fungshuay

‘I think my favourite whale fact is that they don’t eat the whole time during their migration’, says crew member Maisie Jacobson. 

‘I need food every day and they don’t need it until they get back to Antarctica’, she adds with a laugh. ‘This is my third whale season and I’m hoping to change my career trajectory to drive the boat, though I’m not in a rush.’

It’s More Than Watching

On this tour, whale ‘watching’ is slightly misleading, because you can do more than just see.

Sea World Cruises was the first operator to install hydrophones, essentially an underwater microphone, so you can hear the whale song on deck as the whales plunge right under your feet. 

The boats are also equipped with underwater cameras so you can see how these 30-tonne giants move underwater.

‘They’re so humongous and … they’re right next to the boat and they’re pretty much the size of the boat – it’s a pretty cool thing to see’, Maisie reminds me on deck, as we watch the huge Humpback float idly beside us.

You might see some other friends on the screens if you’re lucky!

The Best Time to Go Whale Watching

The whale watching season generally runs from May, as the whales migrate to warmer northern waters to give birth, before heading back south with their young from around August to early November.

For whale watching on the Gold Coast, this means whale numbers peak from August, with the Sea World Cruises crew telling me that they love August and September.

This can be the best time to go whale watching as mothers are heading back south with their young and are in ‘less of a rush’, which means they’re often more curious and eager to visit the boat.

Unlike us, having babies in tow means more time to play

It’s a Lesson in ‘Being Present’

‘I think it’s a very spiritual thing… taking people out to see those beautiful animals in their environment, doing whatever it is they choose to do’, Captain Wayne explains as we chat at the docks. 

This is a great lesson.

The next time I’m out on this tour, I’m not going to use my camera or phone. I’m simply going to watch and listen to the whales, like Captain (or should I say guru) Wayne does every day.

‘This is my third trip today, I’ll be out until 7pm and I’ll be back tomorrow first thing… and never, ever am I doing this job thinking ‘I want to go home.’

Not to mention, each trip has a Sea World Cruises photographer on board with high-quality photos of the whales you saw available straight after the trip, which, let’s face it, are going to be better than what you or I will take on board, and allows you to focus on the experience.

All of the professional photos in this piece (like this one) were taken the same day I was there

Is a whale watching tour worth it?

Aside from all the reasons above, a whale watching tour is certainly worth the money. They start from around $80 for almost three hours out and about on the open sea, and we not only saw whales, but dolphins too.

All Sea World Cruises whale watching tours run with a 100% guarantee that you’ll see a whale, or your next trip is free. On top of this, the boat is big and comfy, and the ‘Captain’s Lounge’ upgrade includes the best seats in the house, lounges next to the captain, as well as snacks and drinks.

And a top tip for a Gold Coast whale cruise, if you book a late afternoon tour, you’ll also catch a spectacular sunset over the GC Surfers Paradise skyline and hinterland.

Overall, this was a much more up-close and personal experience with whales than I expected, but the calm and respectful conduct of the crew made the whole trip feel more like a guided cultural experience than a tour. 

Catchya next time bud