Australia Wide
Whale Watching Cruises
Watching whales and how they behave in their own environment is a unique experience.
Venturing into waters frequented by the whales and watching, waiting and nail-biting until you see one is an adventurous and delightful experience.
The whales swim, dive, flap their tail, breach and sing at their own leisure! It entirely depends on them when we see them and whether we see them at all! Of course, it depends largely on the ocean weather too, which is absolutely unpredictable. So it is always better to check the weather before you set out on the cruise! And you can't be sure about the swell or the tide either, not to speak of the ocean winds! But then that is exactly why the whole experience of whale watching is so filled with suspense and excitement!
Australia Wide gives you an array of spectacular cruises that offer the greatest whale watching experiences in the best whale watching locations around Australia! The vessels are large and well equipped, and the cruises are full of fun and adventure! With experienced crews who have been cruising and exploring the Australian waters for years, the success of seeing whales, sharks, dolphins, sea cows and other exciting ocean life is guaranteed.
May is the time when whales migrate from the cold waters around Antarctica to the warmer waters around Australia. While the former are the feeding grounds of the whales, the latter are the breeding grounds. So come May, they migrate closer to Australia for mating and giving birth.
Humpbacks
During this time, the whales that we most commonly chance upon are the humpbacks. The Southern Humpbacks are black or grey in colour with white, grooved underbellies. They often expose their humped backs while swimming close to the surface of the water, which is how they get their name. Like fingerprints in humans, the identity of the humpbacks lies in their tail flukes.
Humpback whale is the fifth largest animal on earth. It can grow to about 15 metres, which is grossly the total size of 600 humans or 11 elephants, weighing up to around 50 tonnes. The females are larger than the males.
Humpback whales engage in unique behaviours like blowing, breaching (rearing their large bodies out of the water), singing, spy hopping (hopping up to take a peek into boats), diving, tail slapping, pectoral stroking, pectoral slapping, spouting and mugging (playing close to the boats). The songs of the humpbacks are noises of varied frequencies made during different times for different purposes. For example, the high-frequency shrieks in the warmer waters could be for mating purposes while the groans in the colder waters could be for locating food.
Humpbacks are baleen whales which means they feed by straining their food through a series of plates on their upper jaws. They strain out plankton and krill, which are very small crustaceans, from the water.
Minke Whales
Minke whales are bluish gray on top and white on the underbelly. They have a streamlined body with a pointed head. Their blow is often unnoticeable and they swim close to whale watching boats. It is delightful to watch them leap high above the water surface.
Orcas
Orca, or the 'killer whale' as it is more commonly known, is in fact the largest dolphin. The dorsal fin of the male orca, shaped like a triangle, is as tall as a man! Orcas feed on seabirds, seals, dugongs, fish, squid, turtles, and even the large humpbacks and blue whales!
Blue Whales
The blue whale is the largest animal both on land and in sea. It can grow to a length of 110 feet and weigh up to 200 tonnes, which is more than the weight of 50 adult elephants!
And there are a few more to the list belonging to the common, rare and endangered varieties!
To see them, just hop aboard one of our cruises and enjoy a whale of a whale watching experience!
