The first whale watching tours of the season departed Sydney yesterday after weeks of anticipation. Manly Whale Watching has been keeping a 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! 

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.

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 :)

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

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. 
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Will Migaloo pay us another visit? 

Book a whale watching tour and get amongst the action ! 

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

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

Saturday 3rd May - 10.15 AM

What began as a sub standard, cross harbour trip to Circular Quay on the Manly Fast Ferry became a expedition of delight and wonder. Baffled at first by the large number of water vessels surrounding a small area of the harbour, just off Q Station beach, many passengers left their seats and crowded around the windows to see what was going on. 

The ferry suddenly came to an abrupt halt, with the skipper announcing that a juvenile humpback whale had made its way to the harbour and was breaching just off the port side of the boat. Chaos quickly ensued with ferry goers jostling for prime position to see this majestic creature. After a 5 minute stop, the ferry carried on its journey to Circular Quay. 
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This is one of many examples of what a unique and intriguing experience Whale Watching is. The sheer interest of those on board the ferry and even the skippers themselves shows just how special it is. It attracts people from all over the world, in an attempt to spot these creatures in their natural habitat. 

Don't miss out !! Book a place on one of our Whale Watching tours, to ensure you become one of the people in the world lucky enough to see a Humpback Whale.  

With a variety of whale sightings already confirmed in the 'preseason', this year is set to be busy, exciting and hugely impressive. It's going to be great to have these majestic creatures back on the coast of Sydney for the next few months, creating a real natural attraction for us to see, so lets make the most of it.
A perfect cure for those winter blues. 

This year, Manly Whale Watching is able to offer a new way of seeing these magnificent hump back whales, in a hair-raising speed boat trip upon the new addition to the Manly Ocean Adventures fleet.  MV 'Extreme 2', a 12 metre rib, with a combined engine total of 900 horsepower, is virtually guaranteed to be the first to spot the whales, cover the largest area in search of them and give you a adrenaline fuelled thrill ride at the same time.  However, this boat is limited to 21 people and therefore it is required to book early to secure a seat!

For an equally impressive, more relaxed approach, the ocean going vessel 'MV True Blue' is also a great option. With a larger capacity and added height out of the water, this boat offers paramount comfort for your trip, male and female toilets, along with great viewing platform on the upper deck. 


Departure times from Manly Wharf (east side)

Manly Ocean Adventures - 9.45am & 12:15 pm Daily

MV True Blue - 9.45am Daily