Name: Seasonal Whale Watching Cruise in Sunshine Coast
Price: 89.00 AUD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.7 (23 reviews)

Highlights

Watch humpback whales on their migration journey
Largest boat offering tours in the area
Plenty of chances to spot whale calves too!
Fully licensed bar onboard
100% whale watching guarantee!

Climb aboard for the adventure of a lifetime in beautiful Mooloolaba! Thousands of humpback whales migrate through these waters between June and November annually, so you will have the chance to see these magnificent mammals up close and personal, and in their natural habitat.

What's included?

2-3.5 hour whale watching tour
Educational commentary
Purpose-built whale watching vessel with wrap-around viewing

Hop on to the Sunshine Coast's most luxurious 2-storey catamaran, purpose-built for whale watching, with walk around decks and undercover seating, to discover beautiful humpback whales! Throughout June, July and August, this whale watching cruise sees these magnificent whales on their migration to tropical North Queensland waters to breed. From mid August through to November, the humpback whales slowly head back south to Antarctica with their calves, often resting and playing along the way. The waters out from Mooloolaba are the perfect place for them to play, so get ready for incredible views and live whale entertainment!

The east coast Humpback Whale population has made a remarkable recovery, with an estimate of 50,000 individuals as of the 2025 season. You will have a fantastic opportunity to see curious whales approaching the boat, spy hopping and playing together along their travels, often displayed by a magnificent breach!

If whales are not spotted on a whale watching tour, each passenger will be given the option to take another whale watching tour during the same whale watching season.

Important information

Session Length

Tour operates from June - November annually
Cruises depart daily and run for 2-4 hours depending on the time of season
Cruise times vary depending on the time of year

Guidelines

Infants and children under 4 years can travel for free, however it is not recommended to bring small children on the cruise in case of seasickness
If you are travelling with an infant, please advise experience provider at time of booking as accurate passenger numbers are essential
If you have recently visited hospital or have a pre-existing medical condition please consult your GP prior to cruising
Adult voucher valid for anyone aged 15 and over
Child voucher valid for anyone aged 4 - 14 years old
Anyone who is pregnant or trying to fall pregnant is unable to do the following experiences

Cancellation

Change your booking up to 72 hours before the start time of your experience
Changes are not permitted within 72 hours of your experience
Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience
There are no refunds for seasickness. We highly advise purchasing seasickness medication onboard at the bar prior to departure

Numbers on the Day

Maximum of 120 participants on board.

Weather

In the event of rain or inclement weather, this experience will still go ahead unless otherwise contacted by the experience provider. All bookings will receive an email and text message at 3:30pm the afternoon before the scheduled tour, in regards to sea conditions. This will be either confirming the tour, or cancelling if the conditions are unsuitable and unsafe. If you do not receive a message by 4pm, please call the office.

Dress Code

It is recommended that you bring a hat, and wear closed-in shoes and a warm jacket.

Location

Sunreef Mooloolaba, located at The Wharf, 123 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba QLD 4557

Reviews

4.7

23 reviews

5 stars 17

4 stars 5

3 stars 1

2 stars 0

1 star 0

Whale watching

Lisa 17 August 2025

The photo doesn’t do it justice- live was amazing! The whales came so close and were so playful. I spent my time enjoying the moment and forgot to take photos!

Customer Experience

Hi Lisa, your feedback is valuable to us, and we're happy to know you had a great experience and were enjoying every moment. Thanks for sharing!

18 August 2025

Whale Watching…what an experience!

Viv 13 August 2025

This is one experience everyone should have in their life. To see these majestic creatures moving with such grace and dexterity is an incredible privilege. The staff on the cruise were very informative and knowledgeable.

It was a spectacular afternoon seeing whales

Klaus 13 November 2024

Great boat ,not too many people, friendly and helpful staff, great show of jumping out of water by a calf humpback 🐋,

Customer Experience

Hi Klaus, it is always great to hear about the wonderful experiences our customers have, thank you for sharing!

14 November 2024

Unforgettable whale & dolphin watching

Amanda 4 August 2024

Spent ages watching whales slap the water “waving” to us. Added bonus dolphins were swimming their wake & coming up to boat too. Staff friendly & knowledgable. Definitely recommend

Mya

Hi Amanda, it's great to hear about your positive experience. Thank you for sharing your feedback!

4 August 2024

Easy variation of experience

Peter 26 June 2024

I chose to change an experience that was gifted to me and the process was easy.

Mya

Hi Peter, so pleased to see you enjoyed your Seasonal Whale Watching Cruise in Sunshine Coast, we appreciate the time you have taken to share your experience!

27 June 2024

Fantastic Staff

Nick 7 October 2023

Bad weather conditions forced the cancellation of our experience but whale watching and red balloon were fantastic about re-booking/refunding

Excellent whale watching experience

Anna 2 October 2023

The whale watching experience was great. The check in process was super easy and the crew were fantastic throughout the trip. It was a little choppy and the crew were very aware and attentive to making sure everyone was feeling ok and were taken care of if not. I do live in Sunshine Coast so have been seeing a lot of whales around at the moment so that’s why we chose to go and we were not disappointed. As soon as we got out to open water we were greater by 5 whales putting on a beautiful display of everything you could have asked for, we got close enough to truely appreciate the whales but stayed far enough away to ensure they still had there peace. I went first weekend of October.

Whale Warching

Kathy 15 September 2023

On the whole a great experience, the crew and especially Heidi the commentator were very knowledgeable and made the experience fun. The only disappointment was that there was no morning tea provided as stated on the website. One reason I booked this cruise is because I suffer from motion sickness and find eating can help to keep this at bay.

Unforgettable whale watching experience

Grace 10 September 2023

My partner and I spontaneously went whale watching through red balloon and had the most amazing time. We saw several whales on the trip and it was fantastic value for money. Would definitely recommend to family and friends!

Enjoyable Whale Watching

Nicky 29 August 2023

We enjoyed the experience and the boat got us very close to a pod of 5-6 whales. The engines were cut and we waited quietly to watch what the whales might do. The commentary was informative, however our experience would have been enhanced by the addition of a hydrophone in the water which would have picked up the whale songs. The boat was large so we had no problem with sea sickness- we did not need the meds (which were strongly recommended). If the sea looked smooth, I would not bother with them- they make you very tired. If I went again, I would choose a smaller boat- fewer people and the smaller boat got closer each time we found the whales. Even so, it was a good day on the water.

Customer Experience

Hi Nicky, it's great to hear about your positive experience. Thank you for sharing your feedback!

1 September 2024