Each year between June and October, the Coral Sea that lines the shores of Australia’s East Coast plays host to some of the largest creatures on Earth – whales.
Queensland is already an amazing place to visit at any time of year. With warm weather year-round, stunning natural beauty at every turn and almost endless opportunities for adventure.
Add Australia’s longest whale watching season to the list and it’s easy to see why people flock to this part of Australia for their holidays.
If you visit Queensland during this time of year, it pays to keep your eyes on the water to see if you can see these majestic mammals in their natural glory.
And if you do visit this part of Australia during whale watching season, there are many different ways you may be able to encounter these gentle giants.
Here’s what you need to know about Queensland’s whale watching season.
Why do whales come to the Coral Sea?
Each year, thousands of whales spend the summer months in the Antarctic waters, feeding on krill and building up blubber to prepare them for their 5000km journey up to the Coral Sea.
Like clockwork, the whales then make their long trip to the Coral Sea to calve and mate. They start to arrive in June, just at the beginning of the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere, and after their long trek, during which they don’t eat, instead they live on their blubber reserves, the waters of Queensland become their safe haven.
The main reason whales migrate is to follow food and to find suitable places to calve. During winter the temperatures of the Antarctic are too low for newborn calves to survive, as they are born without the blubber layer that protects them from these cooler temperatures.
The warmer waters of the Coral Sea provide the whales with an abundance of food and an ideal environment to calve and mate.
What happens during whale watching season?
As the Queensland whale watching season is the longest in Australia, there are usually many opportunities to see a wide range of whale activity.
Whales tend to follow the same patterns and behaviours during their migration, so throughout the season, you may see some of the following sites:
In June, at the beginning of the season, the mothers and calves from the previous whale migration season will start to arrive in Queensland’s waters. The calves, now known as yearlings, are usually still nursing, and learning to navigate in the waters, as this is their first true migration. The young whales tend to put on a bit of a display for anyone lucky enough to be in the area – showing off their fin and tail slaps.
The mature whales and the pregnant female whales are not too far behind the mothers and yearlings at this point.
During July, the mature whales and pregnant female whales start to arrive, with the Humpback Highway working overtime with the large number of whales making their way north. Around this time, you might notice more activity in the water as mating season is just about to start.
August is a special time during the whale watching season as not only is mating season starting to heat up, but the pregnant whales start to birth their calves. During mating season, the male whales start to put their skills and prowess on display. It’s common for a group of male whales to follow a single female to try to win her over. This is known as a heat run, where the male whales will push and splash one another to prove they are most worthy of the female’s affection. It’s during this time that you’re most likely to see a breaching display by one of the large males.
September is when the whales start to make their way down south again. The newly pregnant whales and the juvenile whales tend to lead the group south. This can be a special time for tour groups on boats, as many of the young whales are quite curious and get close to the boats. You may also see some final acts of courting, with some of the male whales making a last-ditch attempt to win the affection of a female whale at this time.
As the season wraps up in October, it’s at this time you may see some mother whales with their new calves making their way south. During this time, the mother whales teach their young swimming moves, as well as fin slaps, tail slaps and breaching before finally making their way towards the Antarctic.
Where can I see whales in Queensland?
During the whale migration season, you may spot one of the gentle giants from almost anywhere along the Queensland coast, as the whales make their journeys all the way up past us here on the Tropical North Queensland Coast.
From July to September, many whales spend time in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef marine park, as the water temperature is ideal, and the abundance of local marine life make it easy for them socialise as well as feed.
While Humpback sightings are the most common during whale watching season, here in Tropical North Queensland, we’re lucky enough to experience a visit from the Dwarf Minke whale for a few weeks every year too.
The Dwarf Minke whales have a fondness for our region and visit each year, with their moves for the remainder of the year, somewhat a mystery. While they have dwarf in the name, they still reach lengths of up to 8m.
How can I see the whales?
If you’ve always wanted to see a whale in its natural habitat, when you’re in Tropical North Queensland, there are a variety of different ways that this is possible.
Here are three ways you can have a whale watching experience in Queensland:
- Whale Watching Tours Cairns – Departing from Cairns (only 25 minutes from Palm Cove), you can experience a day out discovering the waters of the Coral Sea and quite possibly seeing some whale activity up close. Under the guidance of an experienced marine biologist, the Whale Watching Tours Cairns team know the best spots to watch the whale migration from. Tours run between July and August, so make sure you book your experience.
- From the shoreline – During August and September, right at the peak of mating season, you may have some great luck in seeing whale activity right from the shoreline all along the coast of Queensland. There are some notorious whale watching lookout points along the coast, and even off shore on the islands of the area, like on Fitzroy Island, which is an amazing day trip experience from Palm Cove.
- Swim with the Dwarf Minke Whales – when you’re in Tropical North Queensland, you’re in the best place to have a potential encounter with the elusive Dwarf Minke Whale. There are only a limited number of tour operators that have permits and licensing allowing these sorts of encounters, with most of these offering single day or liveaboard experiences from Port Douglas or Cairns – both only a short distance from palm Cove. The Great Barrier Reef is the only place in the world where you can have this experience.
If you’re going to visit Queensland during winter, whale watching is an unmissable and highly emotive experience – one that we cannot recommend enough.
