Experience the Joy of watching whales in the wild. Be amazed at their size and come and learn about how awesome they are!

The Sapphire Coast is one of the worlds best whale watching locations. Approximate 45,000 humpback whales migrate past each year!

Our crew are passionate about whales, dolphins and all things ocean and love sharing their knowledge with you.

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Rates

Adult: $85
Child: (1 to 16 years) $65
Infants (Under 12 months) $65 We do NOT recommend this tour for child under the age of 4 years. Please book one of our Eden or Bermagui departures

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Duration

2 Hours (approx)

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About

This tour departs on selected days during the Northern Migration (May to July) and then daily during the Southern Migration (August to early November.) Each year approx 45,000 Humpback whales migrate along the Australia East Coast from Antarctica to the Great Barrier Reef and then back again. Other species of whales often sighted include Southern Right, Minke, Brydes, Orcas and Blue whales.

From mid May to the end of July the whales are travelling north and are fat and full of energy from their summer feeding upon krill down in Antarctica. During this time they can be out a little wider but we have noticed over the years that as the whale population has increased we are seeing an ever increasing number of whales in closer.

From August through to late November large numbers of humpback whales travel past the Sapphire Coast. Merimbula is a wonderful place to view whales from. Within minutes of departure whales can be sighted. It is not uncommon to find mothers and calves in Merimbula Bay. In the waters of the Sapphire Coast they can be seen lateral lunge feeding, one of the few places in the world where humpbacks can be observed doing this!! A sight not to be missed!! Mothers and their young calves also provide hours of entertainment as they journey past Merimbula.

This tour is on our 50pax, 14 meter aluminium Tourist Vessel, 'Sensational.' When whale watching we reduce these numbers to 39pax so as to allow more room for everyone! She has 3 x 425hp Yamaha outboards. We are committed to minimising our impact upon the environment, our engine emissions are extremely low and our fuel burn is also very efficient.

This is an adventure tour and you may get wet - so bring a wet weather jacket and a sense of fun!

Many other sea creatures are seen on our cruises, including Common & Bottlenose Dolphins, Australian Fur Seals, penguins, flying fish, sunfish, turtles and many species of sea birds.

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to departure.

Tours Depart from Merimbula Public Jetty, Market Street, Merimbula.

Please note: On the Sapphire Coast the morning is usually the calmest time on the ocean so we recommend it is the best time for first time sailors. However we often see some fantastic action from whales in the afternoons however it is usually windier! If booking for an afternoon cruise please dress warmly, take seasickness prevention and bring your sense of adventure!

During the southern migration we also operate whale watching cruises from Eden Wharf on our larger vessel Bubbles (24meter large, comfortable powered catamaran) This vessel is much more suitable for families with young children. Eden is an easy 20minute drive south of Merimbula.

We also operate whale watching tours on Fridays and Saturdays from the beautiful seaside village of Bermagui. Bermagui is a 1hr drive north of Merimbula. Bermagui is full of delicious cafe's and interesting specialty shops and is perfect for a day trip.

Tours departing from Merimbula operate over a sandbar. At times this sandbar may become shallow which may cause departure times to vary. You will be notified if there are any changes to your trip departure time.

Roger the Whale Spotting Dog:

Please be advised that on most of our tours Roger our whale spotting Kelpie will be onboard. If you have an allergy or this poses a problem for you please contact us.

We recommend bringing the following:

This tour takes you out into the open ocean so we recommend sea sickness prevention.
Sunglasses, to avoid the glare off the water
Warm clothes - it is typically colder out on the water than on land
Camera to capture those magical moments
Eat sensibly before you travel and ask your pharmacist about sea sickness tablets.
Better to come prepared! If you do not regularly go to sea we do recommend taking sea sickness prevention.

We guarantee whales will be sighted!

The following applies to all whale watching tickets purchased directly from Sapphire Coastal Adventures & Merimbula Marina:
If Whales are not sighted on your whale watching cruise the following applies:
• A free return whale watching cruise is offered. This is valid for the current and following whale watching season.
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If your booking is made through a third party agent then the terms of the purchase apply.