Blog

A New Season Commences!

16/5/2019

Pod of 60 killer whales spotted not far from Sydney's coast - Picture: Merimbula Marina

As May rolls around we see Sydney slipping into the full throes of winter. Some may find this time of year grim, but these cold snaps also herald the commencement of the Sydney whale watching season! With both water and air temperatures cooling rapidly, we can expect to see whale sightings steadily increasing through mid to late May, and peaking through June and July as our whale friends chase warmer waters north. 2019 promises the same excitement and wonder of every migration. Steady increases in whale numbers suggest an exceptional season awaits us.

During the 2018 season lucky Sydney whale watchers experienced memorable encounters such as Sydney’s first killer whale sighting for many years. The huge predators were cruising in a pod of close to sixty whales - a rare sighting for Sydney! Such encounters have us excited for more diversity than ever this year. Humpback Whales are, of course, the most commonly spotted, but, if you’re lucky, you may catch glimpses of Southern Right Whales, Sperm Whales, Minki Whales, and even the colossal Blue Whales.

Whale watching tours will begin running out of Sydney from the 18th of May when sightings start to become more consistent. During the earlier stages of the migration, expect to see young and lively males making their pilgrimage ahead of the bigger bull whales. Mother whales and their calves are commonly sighted in the second half of the season, when whales are heading south, back to their Antarctic home.

And so, as Sydney cools down you’ll find the team at Manly Whale Watching rugging up and gearing up to get out there for another great season, full of awesome moments with our colossal East Coast travellers!

Humpback Calf Spotted in North Harbour!

9/5/2019

Even in early May - the mere beginning of the Sydney whale watching season - whales are being spotted in close proximity to (and even within) the waters of Sydney Harbour. On Wednesday the 8th of May a Manly Kayak Centre employee, Daniel Nugent, was tendering one of our whale watching operators, Blake Horton to the Ocean Extreme vessel moored off of West Esplanade when both they and a departing ferry were stopped in their tracks by a surfacing Humpback Calf. Providing as much distance as possible, and making sure not to approach from behind the whale, Daniel and Blake were left in a state of awe as the young whale headed south from a position roughly 50m from Manly Wharf’s Wharf 3.

Whale sightings within Sydney Harbour are not unheard of during peak season, however, to see such a young whale so far north in the harbour, and so early in the whale watching season, is extremely rare. Both Blake, a whale watching operator with over eight years experience, and Daniel, a Manly local who has spent countless hours on the waters of North Harbour, were surprised by this rare and magical encounter. “As we were driving out to cross the ferry path we ended up stuck behind a fast ferry trying to reverse…” Daniel explained “...to our surprise it was a Humpback calf that had stopped the ferry. It was incredible. It was the first time I’ve seen a whale in North Harbour.”

It is believed the juvenile Humpback took a wrong turn into the harbour, and upon reaching Manly doubled back to depart through the heads and continue north to warmer waters. Whale Watching Sydney were equally as excited by the phenomenon, a facebook post reading “Whale in the Harbour around Manly right now!” One of their crew members was able to capture the whale surfacing, with the aforementioned video available on their facebook page. It is clear that the whale watching season is just around the corner, and with this unexpected appearance expectations for an action packed season are building steadily.

If we’re seeing action this early, and within the confines of Sydney Harbour, we find ourselves asking the question of what excitement awaits offshore, outside the heads of Sydney Harbour and along the mammalian motorway that is the east coast of Australia?

See Whale Watching Sydney’s video here: https://www.facebook.com/whalewatchingsydney/videos/303812997220842

Whale, Hello there 2018!

28/4/2018

Whale Watching season will officially commence on the 12th May, with greater expected whale numbers due to migrate. The whales will begin their journey heading north from Antarctica, to the warmer waters of Queensland. During September, October and November they're heading back down south to Antarctica. Though do keep a look out! Whales are foreseen heading north, closer to shore. This is due to the eastern Australian current that runs like an expressway heading southbound.

More whale sightings? ..... Why? This year be on the lookout for more whales and their newborn calves. These families travel to northern waters to give birth, as it is a more suitable environment to give birth - newborn calves are born without a protective blubber layer underneath their skin and would quickly lead to death. Due to the increased sightings, whales meet their needs for food and calving areas by travelling far distances from cold, feeding areas, to warmer, shallower waters for feeding and mating.

Keep your distance!!! Boat users are being reminded to keep their distances from migrating whales.

Boat users must not move closer than 100m to a whale or 300m if the whale has a calf or shows signs of disturbance. If you are in control of a vessel, it is your responsibility to maintain legal approach distances. Your are not allowed to follow them or chase after them.

If you are swimming or diving, you must stay at least 30m away from the whales.

Whales Spotted on First Tour of 2016

18/5/2016

The first whale watching tours of the season departed Sydney yesterday after weeks of anticipation. Manly Whale Watching has been keeping an ear to the ocean for news of these majestic creatures and they are finally gracing our shores once again.

Ocean Tracker, the largest vessel on offer at Manly Whale Watching, departed on it's 4 hour Discovery cruise yesterday directly from Circular Quay. After a bit of searching passengers were blessed with a number of sightings. The tour marks the very beginning of a spectacle that is eagerly anticipated every year and is something not to be missed!

Check This Out!

7/7/2015

These lucky Whale Watcher's got a very welcoming hello from this friendly humpback whale last weekend! To get the chance to see this for yourself on our adventure vessel click here.

Whale Watching Season 2015 Has Kicked Off!

21/5/2015

Our first tours went out over the weekend and they were a raging success! Great to see the whales coming again past our shorelines. Tours will soon be running 7 days a week, so book now to be among the first to welcome these animals for our 2015 season :)

Whale Befriends Surfers at Freshwater Beach

4/7/2014

Every year we get to watch amazing things happen as the whale population swims past our shorelines. Yet, every year, we are in awe as people around us have remarkable experiences with these creatures. Last weekend marked a special moment for surfers on the Norther Beaches as a young Southern Right came in curiously close. This youngster seemed to soak in the chilled out beach vibes as he sat in the shallows with surfers for hours. Our friend Joel Coleman, of Saltmotion photography, was lucky enough to capture the magic and shares his memory of the experience:

"If you spend enough time in and around the ocean occasionally you will witness something incredible. Sunday morning at Freshwater Beach was one of these special days. A Southern Right Whale stopped by and decided to hang around in the shallow water for well over an hour. After watching the whale from the clifftop for about twenty minutes, myself and a friend decided to see if we could get a closer look. I honestly thought by the time I got my in water camera together and swam across the bay the whale would have moved on. Thankfully I was wrong and I got to spend an hour photographing and videoing this incredible creature. An experience I will not forget.

Enjoy your day,
Joel Coleman…"

http://www.saltmotion.com/daily-photos

Rare White Whale Migaloo Makes His Way Up Queensland Coast

30/6/2014

Migaloo, the rare white humpback is making his way up Queensland’s coast, with keen whale watchers keeping an eager eye out for the gentle giant of the ocean.

Migaloo was spotted at North Stradbroke Island on Tuesday and is expected to continue on his annual migration to warmer waters in far north Queensland.

The whale, believed to be about 28 years old, is one of the few documented albino humpbacks in the world. Boats and jetskis must keep a distance of 500 metres from Migaloo, and aircraft are not allowed any closer than 2000 feet. Migaloo will pass Sydney once more on his return leg, possibly in late September. However the whale has tended to swim further out to sea on the trip back to Antarctica.

Will Migaloo pay us another visit?

Book a whale watching tour and get amongst the action !

Most Successful Weekend to Date

25/6/2014

With the post weekend, 'monday blues' setting in for most of the working population, memories of an amazing whale watching weekend will linger. With the skipper of the Manly Ocean Adventures vessel describing Saturdays tours as being like 'Whale soup', there was no shortage of whale spotting's just off the harbour.

Sunday was equally as eventful with this series of photos taken aboard the Manly Ocean Adventures Safari.

They are only here for a short time, make the most of it.....

Migaloo Watched From Totally Wild & Ocean Dreaming Tours

24/6/2014

WOW, what a huge day, Migaloo was watched from both Totally wild and Ocean Dreaming.