Whale Sightings

Our whale sighting for the morning was a lone Humpback Whale travelling in a northerly direction. Someone may need to let this whale know that it is running very late for the northern migration! Although travelling solo, the whale treated passengers to several beautiful views of its fluke as it dived beneath the surface.

While offshore, we encountered a pod of dolphins that included a couple of adorable calves. Young dolphins are always a delight to see and were a wonderful addition to the morning’s wildlife encounters.

We then stopped near Cabbage Tree Island to complete our daily seal count. Today, six seals were spotted basking in the glorious spring sunshine and enjoying the calm conditions.

The wildlife encounters continued as we returned to Port Stephens Harbour. While cruising past Fly Point, we found a pod of our local Bottlenose Dolphins—including a very young newborn calf. The calf was easily recognised by its light-grey colouring and the visible fetal folds along its body, indicating that it had only recently been born.

Wednesday afternoon delivered a beautiful and unexpected encounter on the water, with a singular humpback whale spotted travelling steadily northbound. The whale was behaving a little unusually, and our experienced crew suspected there may be a calf nearby — although it remained hidden from view during the early part of the cruise.

We followed the whale’s movements and soon came across two more humpbacks, also making their way north. As we continued to observe the group, the mystery was finally solved — the young calf emerged and made its way right alongside the boat!

Our crew immediately cut the engines, giving the whales plenty of space while we quietly watched the playful calf from the vessel. It was a wonderful moment as the little one surfaced close by, giving everyone on board a fantastic opportunity to observe this young humpback in its natural environment.

As the whales eventually continued on their journey, we could still see them spy hopping and pectoral fin slapping as they headed north — a fantastic way to finish such a memorable encounter.

With good sea conditions and beautifully clear water, it was a wonderful afternoon on the water and another reminder that you never quite know what you might encounter when you head out whale watching!

Photo credit: Lee Matthews Photography