Humpback Whale season has arrived! Here’s how you can see them up close

One of our favourite times of the year in WA is fast approaching – humpback whales are about to make their journey down our Coral Coast!

The gentle giants are about to make their annual migration from the North West to their winter feeding grounds in the Antarctic.

As the Coral Coast transforms into a Humpback Highway, it truly becomes a special place, in fact, Ningaloo Marine Park is the only place in WA where you can interact with them in the water.

It’s truly an experience that will stay with you for years to come – here’s what you need to know:

Best time of year to see humpback whales along the Coral Coast

Humpback whales make their annual migration along West Australia’s Coral Coast during July and October. That means the best time to see these marvels is from mid-winter (July) through to mid-spring (October).

Tours typically operate from July 1 through to October in Coral Bay, and from August 1 through to October in Exmouth. It should be noted, as humpback whales are wild animals, these season dates vary year to year based on the whales’ migration.

Swimming with humpback whales along the Coral Coast

The best way to see these gracious 40-tonne animals is on a dedicated in-water interaction tour led by expert guides with capped guest numbers from Coral Bay or Exmouth. These full day experiences are run by a small group of dedicated tour operators, who are all committed to providing memorable encounters all whilst remaining eco-friendly and sustainable.

Most tours take a maximum of 20 people on tour and a maximum of seven guests dive into the water at a time to swim with the whales. As well as that, you will be given the chance to snorkel on the reef’s inner lagoon on these tours, giving you the opportunity to see the other many wonders of the Ningaloo Reef.

Piqued your interest? Check out these tour operators who offer swimming with whale tours on the Coral Coast:

• Coral Bay Eco Tours
• Exmouth Dive and Whalesharks
• Live Ningaloo
• Ningaloo Blue Dive
• Ningaloo Discovery
• Ningaloo Whaleshark Swim
• Ocean Eco Adventures
• Three Islands Whale Shark Dive
• Aussie Marine Adventures

Humpback whale watching along the Coral Coast

You may prefer to take in the humpbacks from the coast,  and if so there are whale watching tours on-land in Kalbarri, Coral Bay or Exmouth. And, the Coral Coast has loads of lookout locations to whale watch, truly the only problem with that is you are spoilt for choice. You’ll be able to spot humpback whales from Geraldton’s Back Beach and all the way up to Bundegi Beach in Exmouth. Take your pick:

Geraldton

• Back Beach
• Geraldton Esplanade

Kalbarri Coastal Cliffs

• Shellhouse Grandstand
• Island Rock
• Eagle Gorge
• Pot Alley
• Mushroom Rock
• Rainbow Valley
• Red Bluff Lookout

Shark Bay

• Skipjack Point
• Steep Point
• Turtle Bay (Dirk Hartog Island)

Carnarvon

• Blowholes Lookout Area
• Point Quobba Campground

Exmouth

• Vlamingh Head Lighthouse
• Bundegi Beach

For more information on how to make the most of WA’s humpback whale watching season, head to the Australia’s Coral Coast website.

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This article is sponsored by Australia’s Coral Coast and endorsed by us. Please see our Editorial Policy for more info.