Sydney · WHALE WATCHING CRUISES
14 reviewed
From May to November the humpbacks track the coast close to shore, and Sydney runs some of the best boats to meet them. Ranked below: which head out past the Heads, which are quick two-hour trips versus half-day expeditions, group sizes, prices, and the sighting guarantee most of them offer.
Spend 2h45 on a Sydney catamaran hunting for humpback whales, with live commentary, panoramic decks, and free hot drinks onboard.
“Wonderful experience. Worth every penny! Had a marine biologist on board giving us very interesting facts regarding whales. The weather was perfect and waters not to choppy. Overall a must do if in Sydney !”
Sydney whale-watching cruise with harbour sights and breakfast or BBQ lunch. 4 hours, small groups, live commentary, whale sighting guarantee.
“The waters outside of Sydney Harbour are known to be rough. At least 50% of the passengers were seasick. Unfortunately they did not follow the crew’s instructions and use the provided “barf” bags. Therefore the restrooms were a mess. Not the crew’s fault. The preliminary safety instructions were clear to those of us who are fluent in English. Perhaps the company could provide laminated written instructions for the non-English speakers. The Captain tried his best to locate and follow the whales we saw, but dang it, the whales were not cooperating with us! Be prepared for wind and swells …”
A 2-hour express whale cruise from Circular Quay to open ocean in 20 minutes on the Fantasea Crystal, with guaranteed sightings.
“The guide knew exactly where to go, after 15 minutes we already seen the first humpback whale! To our surprise dolphins joined the whale and they circled together for a time. It was stunning! We loved our seat on the sun deck! Not for people with a sensitive stomach tho. 😂 would highly recommend”
Small-group whale watching from Darling Harbour with a humpback sighting guarantee, live commentary, and Harbour Bridge and Opera House views.
“It was epic. We enjoyed the ride and the staff was great explaining what we might see and when we did see the whales they made sure to point them out. Highly recommend.”
Sydney whale watching on a custom catamaran from Darling Harbour. Reach open ocean fast, enjoy decks, drinks, onboard photos, 150 min.
“The seas were rough but the captain and all the crew warned everyone about the rough seas before departing, and handed sea sick bags out. The captain did at one point say the seas were too rough and we were heading back in when we spotted some whales. It was wonderful to see a two calfs, two moms and an escort whale. One of the mamma whales used her tail to hit the water giving us a hint that we should not be so close to her baby. When in Sydney will take another tour with them.”
4-hour Sydney Heads whale cruise from Circular Quay with expert commentary and breakfast or lunch. See humpbacks on migration routes.
“Food was way better than we expected, we could see a lot of lovely whales. Loved it.”
3-hour catamaran humpback whale cruise from Circular Quay with whale-time guarantee, live guide, and photos on board.
“This was great!!! The crew was friendly and knowledgeable. We were lucky enough to see a ton of tail slaps, breaching, and general awesomeness. I would absolutely do this again, especially with the morning time as the group was small.”
Speedboat whale-watching from Circular Quay with jackets and a fast run past the Harbour Bridge and Opera House to see humpbacks offshore.
“This has probably been the best experience of our travels around Australia, and is likely to stay that way. We were lucky enough to see a large number of whales breaching and tail slapping with our guide giving the whales sufficient space, bRead more”
150-minute Sydney Harbour whale-watching cruise to spot humpbacks and dolphins, with live commentary and a whale-sighting guarantee.
“Loved our trip. Our guide was excellent, easy to see the whales from the ship. Would love to do it again ☺️”
Small-boat humpback whale migration watching from Darling Harbour with onboard commentary, close views, and a whale sighting guarantee.
“Great experience! I liked that it wasn’t a massive group, it meant that when whales appeared everyone had a good view. The team who was working was super friendly and knowledgeable and clearly knew what they were doing. And best of all, Whales definitely appeared! ❤️ My only recommendation would be for the team to get a louder microphone for when they are talking while the boat is moving as when not sat close to the person speaking it’s very hard to hear what the person is saying but only when the boat was fully moving, once it slowed or stopped could hear fine”
Circular Quay whale watching on a 2.5-hour catamaran with open decks and live guide commentary. Seasonal May to November.
“Beautiful trip. Not too rough waters and they give barf bags just in case. The tour guide was very informative and taught us a lot about whales in general. Got to see a mother, her baby, and their escort. Beautiful day”
2.5-hour humpback whale cruise from Darling Harbour past Opera House and Bridge, tea/coffee and commentary, fast open-water run.
“The crew were knowledgeable, boat was great and we saw lots of whales and dolphins! Highly recommended”
A 3-hour Sydney Harbour catamaran cruise for humpback whale sightings, whale guarantee, and expert commentary from Circular Quay.
“The boat was rocking quite a bit, so we didn't see many whales from inside. It took about an hour and a half to get to the destination, so there weren't many chances to spot whales.”
A 2-hour Sydney whale-watching express from Circular Quay on Ocean Dreaming II, with onboard commentary, three decks, and a licensed bar.
“We gift this experience to our friend for her birthday and we all absolutely love it! Got to see a lot of whales, we saw a whale jumping by the end and the captain stayed a bit longer so we could enjoy. 100% recommend it.”
Spend the morning chasing humpback whales on Sydney Harbour, then enjoy Taronga Zoo’s top exhibits with a return Rocket Ferry.
“Really loved the few hours out on the water our guide was very informative thrown in with a little bit of humour and the cruise was nice and smooth the day we ventured out. We saw plenty of activity there were whales all over the place I can't believe they come in so close to shore line. Both adult and calves present although they weren't putting on a huge display being in their presence was more than enough. We are lucky to have Ningaloo on our side of the country but was a special day seeing the east coast friends. Thank you Captain Cook and team.”
