Whale Sightings

Today’s whale-watching cruises delivered two very different encounters with the Humpback Whales visiting the waters off Port Stephens. During the morning cruise, Captain Harry described the Humpback Whale sighting as a game of hide-and-seek. The whale remained elusive, completing long, deep dives that made predicting where it would surface next quite challenging. While it was…

It was an absolute pleasure to be out on the water today, with beautiful weather conditions for whale watching. Most of our sightings were mums and calves making their way south on their annual migration. One pair slowly zigzagged their way along the coast, leading us to believe the calf may have been feeding. Another…

What an incredible morning on the waters of Port Stephens! Our whale-watching cruises were greeted by five to six Humpback Whales scattered just north of the Fingal Island Lighthouse. Among them was one particularly playful juvenile who stole the show. The young whale put on an energetic display in front of the Hinchinbrook Explorer –…

After several days of being landlocked due to unfavourable sea conditions, we were thrilled to see the swell ease and sunshine return for Saturday’s Whale Watch Cruises aboard Hinchinbrook Explorer. Heading through the headlands at Shoal Bay, our crew soon located two adult humpback whales. After spending some time observing the pair, we…

Monday morning on the water – not a bad way to start the week! After departing Port Stephens, MV Osprey turned right at the Fingal Island Lighthouse and headed south in search of whales. It wasn’t long before we encountered a playful humpback making a splash at the surface. Then came the highlight – an…

They say never work with children or animals—and today, the animal factor certainly came into play! Despite the very best efforts of our experienced crew, the whales proved especially elusive during today’s Whale Watch Cruises. Unfortunately, no whales were sighted, although our local dolphins made a welcome appearance and still provided passengers with a wonderful…

Saturday delivered a beautifully summer-like day – and the humpback whales certainly made the most of it! Guests aboard Envision, Aquamarine Adventures our 11am and 1:30pm whale-watching cruises were treated to an impressive display of aerial activity, with the whales showing off their acrobatic skills against the sparkling Port Stephens coastline. The excitement continued during…

It was a beautiful morning aboard MV Osprey, with lovely weather and great conditions offshore. The swell was relatively light, although we did have the occasional roll, which unfortunately meant a few of our passengers felt the motion of the ocean. The whale activity was a little quieter than we’ve experienced on some recent trips,…

Our morning cruise got off to a fantastic start with a pod of local bottlenose dolphins spotted around Yacaaba Headland. These resident dolphins provided a wonderful welcome as we headed offshore in search of the migrating humpbacks. We didn’t have to travel far before locating the whales, with several humpbacks found close to Broughton Island….

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…

Spring has arrived in Port Stephens, and conditions on the water today have been absolutely stunning. Our morning Whale Watch Cruise aboard MV Osprey was a little quiet. Despite the crew’s best efforts and plenty of careful searching, the whales proved elusive and difficult to track. As every wildlife encounter is completely natural and unpredictable,…

It has been an extraordinary day on the water for our Moonshadow-TQC Cruises passengers, with spectacular humpback whale activity, hundreds of offshore dolphins and some familiar local wildlife making appearances throughout the day. Our morning Whale Watch Cruise began with an exciting encounter involving a large pod of six or seven humpback whales engaged in…