Getting up close and personal with our friends from the sea is something really special, and whale watching has to be one of the best experiences WA has to offer. Each year, from May to December, you can catch a glimpse of humpback, southern right, minke, and rare blue whales as they migrate north to warmer waters.
They’re a playful bunch and love putting on a bit of a show; often coming close to shore with their calves. Wait, did someone say baby whales? Take me to them immediately.
There are plenty of options when it comes to checking out nature’s biggest and bravest, with many vantage points along the coast and boat tours on offer, so here’s where to go whale watching in and around Perth. Have a whale of a time!
1. Rottnest Fast Ferries Whale Watching Tours
Hillarys
Guaranteed to get you there faster, Rottnest Fast Ferries offers two-hourwhale-watching tours between September and mid-November, complete with a certified guide from the Aquarium of WA to give you all the inside information on these gentle giants. Their tour will take you to Hillarys Boat Harbour, where you can view playful humpback whales from three fantastic viewing points.
2. Whale Watching Perth
Perth, Fremantle, Hillarys
Offering a range of whale-watching tours between September and December, Whale Watching Perth is one of the best when it comes to a cruise. Tours are three to four hours and there are packages to suit everyone—from private charters to work functions to sunrise and sunset cruises. Pick-up points include Barrack Street Jetty, Hillarys Boat Harbour, Mindarie Marina, and Fremantle Jetty.
3. Whale Watch Western Australia
Fremantle, Bremer Bay, Augusta
Experience a new perspective with Whale Watch Western Australia’s underwater camera and hydrophone, which allows you to not only see but also to hear the whales as they travel down the coast—all from a luxurious 25m catamaran complete with five viewing decks. Be sure to have your camera at the ready—these guys are so confident you’ll see a whale or two that they’ll give you a return trip for free if you don’t! Tours operate from late May through to December from various locations including Bremer Bay and Augusta.
4. Margaret River Whale Watching Tours
Margaret River Region
From June through to December, the Margaret River region is one of the best places to witness playful whales frolicking offshore. With options ranging from luxury cruises to purpose-built whale-watching vessels, you can sit back, relax, and learn more about our deep-sea friends from the experts. Tours depart from Augusta between June and August, and Dunsborough and Busselton from September to December and you can check out all the options here.
5. Naturaliste Charters
Bremer Bay, Busselton, Dunsborough, Augustaand Albany
If you’re up for a road trip (or a quick flight), Bremer Bay is the perfect destination for whale watching. Located five and a half hours south-east of Perth, Bremer Bay is not only beautiful, it’s also one of the places in Australia where you can see southern right whales from the coast as they come to calve and play in the secluded bays at Point Ann and Trigelow Beach. If that’s not a reason to have yourself an awesome winter weekender, I don’t know what is. If you happen to be down in Bremer Bay between January and April, get yourself on one of Naturaliste Charter’s Bremer Canyon Whale Expeditions to get some time with the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest pod of orcas. If Bremer Bay is not on your hit list, they also run tours across the entire Southwest from mid-May right through to December.
Original Article Posted Here: https://www.theurbanlist.com/perth/a-list/whale-watching-in-perth
