Whale Sightings

The word has gotten out amongst the seal population, Port Stephens is the place to be for winter! We counted up to 15 seals lazing about on Cabbage Tree Island today. The seals will reside on the island during the cooler months before heading off once the spring air starts to warm up. We have…

This morning’s whale watching cruise aboard the Hinchinbrook Explorer were delighted to see multiple pods of whales with great surface time whilst on their journey offshore near the Fingal Lighthouse.  Once on location, a juvenile whale breached several times near the vessel allowing the passengers to have a good look. On the afternoon tour, the vessel cruised alongside a pod of five Humpback Whales with fantastic surface time and lots of flukes in the air.  A whale’s tale is made of two lobes, each of which are called a fluke.  There is a v-shaped indentation where the flukes of a whale’s tail meet.  Flukes move up and down to propel the whale through the water. There were multiple pods scattered around during the cruise and the Common Dolphins joined the Hinchinbrook Explorer whilst they made their way to view the…

What a magical day to be on the water in the beautiful Port Stephens.  Seas were calm and the sun is shining.  Our passengers today were treated with lots of acrobatic displays from about 30 whales who are migrating north.  We saw plenty of breaches, tail lobs and pectoral fin slaps.  Passengers and crew were…

We have whaley missed being off shore cruising the waterways of Port Stephens! The crew are desperate to head out through the headland at Mt Tomaree again this morning in search of Humpback Whales migration along the coastline. The Captain of the Hinchinbrook Explorer has located several pods of Humpback Whales just out from the…

Due to unfavourable sea conditions, whale watch cruises have been cancelled for today.

You could be forgiven for thinking that there is snow falling in Port Stephens today! The air is super chilly, with what feels like winds blowing directly from the Snowy Mountains and making the accessories of a warm beanie and scarf a necessity while out whale watching this morning to keep warm. The Hinchinbrook Explorer…

We were privileged on this morning’s whale watching cruise, aboard the Spirit of Port, to witness a heat run consisting of multiple pods of 8 or more Humpback Whales pursuing the female Humpback Whale. There was lots of grunting and fast paced action during the chase with the males contesting for the female’s attention.  We…

From the vessel this morning multiple pods of Humpback Whales were observed off Fingal Lighthouse so we haven’t had to travel too far today to see the action.  Cruise Director, Renee, advised that the pods appeared to have two or more whales in each pod. With so many whales within the vicinity there is a…

Whale Hello There 🙂 What do you call a baby whale?……………..A little squirt! The sun was out in full force today but the cold has set in, today’s max temp 13.9 but feels like 4.7 brrrrrrr. We recommend rugging up you can’t have enough layers and beanies are a must! ( we do have some…

Are whales acrobatic? Humpback Whales are known as the most acrobatic mammal of the oceanic world, especially when you consider the size of a fully grown adult whale can be the size of a small bus. Can you picture a bus leaping out of the water looking graceful and majestic as it twists its body…

The number of whales passing the Port Stephens coastline seems to be increasing daily with a number of pods being sighted and the opportunity to stick with different pods depending on their level of activity and the amount of time they are spending beneath the surface of the water. The crew aboard the MV Spirit…

Whales, whales, whales and more whales in the only way to describe the sightings aboard the Hinchinbrook Explorer on our 10am whale watch cruise at Port Stephens. It appears in every direction we look there are multiple pods of Humpback Whales. While the westerly wind is chilly, the whales have certainly made up for this…