The cooler season is when the beautiful humpback whales have well and truly begun their 10,000 kilometre return journey and are gracing our waters as they head North to the warm sub-tropical waters of Queensland. With the air temperature now much cooler than the ocean temperature, the mist from the plumes of these gentle giants can easily be spotted and often hangs in the air at heights of up to 5 metres on calm days. The plumes and acrobatic displays of the whales can be spotted on the daily now especially from heights such a Lennox Point.
The cooler season is when the beautiful humpback whales have well and truly begun their 10,000 kilometre return journey and are gracing our waters as they head North to the warm sub-tropical waters of Queensland. With the air temperature now much cooler than the ocean temperature, the mist from the plumes of these gentle giants can easily be spotted and often hangs in the air at heights of up to 5 metres on calm days. The plumes and acrobatic displays of the whales can be spotted on the daily now especially from heights such a Lennox Point.
They have travelled all the way from the cold, krill rich waters of Antarctica where they spend months eating and piling on the fat layers to prepare them for their enormous migration to mate and give birth to new calves in warmer waters. The Humpback Whale population is a good news story. From only a couple of hundred post whaling in the early 60’s, the population has grown to over 40,000 whales making the Humpback Highway a pretty spectacular place to be.
Below are some great local experiences on how to get out there and experience it!
Image: Out of the Blue Adventures
Out of the Blue Adventures boat tours allow you to enjoy breathtaking coastal scenery while experiencing jaw dropping encounters with the whales. Listen to live Humpback Whale sounds using their specialised underwater hydrophone and learn from the friendly Marine Biologist who will share in-depth knowledge of the area and the habits of these amazing creatures. With the whale numbers increasing every year, each season is becoming even more amazing than the last - there’s never been a better time to book a tour for a once in a lifetime adventure.
Tours depart from Ballina Wharf or Brunswick Heads Wharf
Image: Air T&G Helicopters
Create lifelong memories and see nature's giants from a completely different perspective. With a view like no other, a helicopter tour with Air T&G along our stunning coastline and around the Byron Lighthouse (where you will often find mothers sheltering with their calves) is a perfect way to experience these majestic creatures. Departing from Ballina Airport, see the natural beauty of the northern rivers coastline from air!
Image: Byron Bay Microlights
A microlight is a small two seater, open cockpit aircraft that flies slow enough to observe and follow whales. They maintain 300 meters distance and being above water you can see them swimming under clear water. From above they can choose from many pods of humpbacks to fly to and easily go from one to another. A customer said this about her experience, “I had seen whales from a boat a number of times but to view them from the microlight was a much more spectacular experience. Seeing the full bodies of these beautiful animals, you get a better sense of their enormity and to see their calves swimming beside their mothers, looking so vulnerable, was certainly something special.” Julie.
Tours depart from Ballina Airport
Image: Byron Air Adventures & Classic Aero
Byron Air Adventures & Classic Aero operate out of Ballina/Byron Airport and specialise in making flying fun. Well known for their aerobatic flights in an ex-RAAF CT4 and a Russian military high-performance training aircraft, consider a reconnaissance scenic flight in a unique aircraft while spotting whales - seeing them from above is absolutely breath taking. A unique experience in a unique aircraft.
Image: Byron-Lennox Hang Gliding
Hang gliding at the Pat Morton Lookout Lennox Head is very unique in many ways. The site is perfect for people from all over the world to experience the peace of soaring like an eagle and with the eagles that occupy the sky’s over the Pat Morton Lookout. But it’s not only what’s in the air it’s what we see from flying silently above the ocean. It’s not uncommon to see a pod of dolphins, a school of sharks, a fever of stingrays but the most amazing animal to see from the air is without a doubt the migrating hump back whales, especially in the spring when they are on their south bound journey with their new born calves. It’s pretty special to silent fly out to sea to have a Birds Eye view of the whales playing with their newborn.
Image: Go Sea Kayak
Exploring the Cape Byron Marine Park by sea kayak is amazing on its own but seeing a 15m Humpback Whale pass within metres of your kayak is a very special experience. The guides are passionate about the Humpback whales and are professionals at positioning the tour for an amazing whale experience without negatively impacting the marine life in the process. The whales are such inquisitive, gentle mammals that they will at times swim right underneath your kayak and frolic very close to the shoreline. The feeling you get when you hear the sound of a Humpback whale while sitting in a little kayak in the largest ocean in the world is up there with the best sound you will ever hear. You will often hear the whales before you spot them.
Image: Fozies Fishing
Fozies Fishing run deep sea fishing charters out of Ballina and have over 40 years of local knowledge. They specialise in catering to small groups and will customise the package to suit your tastes. During the annual whale migration season Fozies Fishing is a great tour to ‘reel in a big catch’, take home a feed of fish AND also have a great chance of spotting whales while out at sea. Alternatively, they also offer 3 hour Whale Watching tours purely to see the migration.
Spot the Whales from Land!
Amazing locations from land to pack a picnic, grab the binoculars, take in the view and keep an eye out for whales:
- Ballina North Wall
- Ballina Headland
- Sharpes Beach
- Along the Coastal Recreation Path between Sharpes Beach & Pat Morton
- Boulder Beach Headland
- Pat Morton Lookout