Tour Information
Join The Pod® and Learn The Language of the Whales™ as you are welcomed onboard Australia’s newest, state of the art purpose built Whale Watch vessel to immerse yourself in the world of the whales in the waters off Surfers Paradise.
Our dedicated and passionate Whale Watch family have designed each journey to educate and inspire our guests on the incredible history and life of the Humpback Whale. Our vessel has been specifically designed to ensure that our time with the whales is respectful, emission efficient and meaningful. Our moto is to observe and not influence behaviour ensuring that the behaviours we witness are natural and we are better able to match the energy of the whales with our brand new vessels design.
Every tour has our 100% lifetime sighting guarantee and in the unlikely event that the whale species of your tour is not sighted you will receive a return ticket that can be used at anytime in the future with no expiry date or passed on to family and friends.
Itinerary
Welcome aboard Whale Watch 1 as we enjoy our cruise through the calm Broadwater and begin our search on the journey to the Humpback Whale sighting grounds for local Bottlenose Dolphins and birdlife. Our live and educational commentary will teach you the Language of the Whales throughout your tour and the incredible life story of Australia’s Humpback Whales.
Arriving in the sighting grounds, our interactions will immerse you in the world of the whales as we introduce ourselves to these beautiful and intelligent individuals. Learn about the behaviours you will be witnessing as our marine mammal behaviouralist takes you through your tour moment by moment. Our Whale Watch TV Theatre enables a live underwater camera view from the comfort of your seat, while our hydrophone tunes in to the songs and sounds of the environment around us.
Our professional photographer is onboard to turn moments into memories to share with family and friends. The very best images of the day will be available to download free of charge from The Daily Whale. Research is completed onboard every tour with interaction logs, ID cataloging and audio recordings taking place as we work alongside leading universities and whale researchers from around Australia and the world to continue learning and teaching the Language of the Whales.
Why Choose Us
Whale Watch Queensland is part of the Whale Watch Family Pod, a sixth generation Australian family who has grown up on the oceans around Australia. Our family whale watches all year, every year in the waters of Australia including our summer spent with the Orca (Killer Whales) and early Autumn with the worlds largest creature, the Blue Whale. Winter and Spring is then spent with the migration of Humpback Whales and Southern Right Whales on both the east and west coast of Australia.
Our experience, passion and knowledge of the cetaceans we work with is unrivalled as we bring world class cetacean education and viewing to our guests. The art of whale watching takes time and patience, our family business has dedicated our time to creating a whale watch experience that allows you to Join The Pod and be welcomed by the whales in their wild environment.
Whale Watch 1 is Australia’s newest, state of the art vessel that has been specifically designed by one of Queensland’s leading marine naval architects to be a class above the rest. Our family has included in the design learnings from our many years of whale watching and time on the ocean to create a comfortable, safe and emission efficient world class Whale Watch vessel.
Join the Pod® today for a unique and valuable experience as we pass on the knowledge of our lifetime at sea, to you.
Our Vessel
Our state of the art, brand new vessel Whale Watch 1 is proudly designed and made in Australia to elevate your whale watch experience to an elite level and immerse you in the world of the whales.
These new vessels are a game changer for the industry, not only in environmental impact emissions but more importantly the impact on our cetaceans. Brand new 16 meter, 50 seat capacity for an intimate experience.
Whale watching should be just that, watching and our moto is to observe and not influence behaviour. Sound is the main communication skill below the water and if we are as quiet as possible the less influence we will have and the more cetaceans build trust with our vessel. A relaxed whale will display behaviour that would happen whether you are there or not, this is the art of Whale Watching and something we believe we do better than anyone worldwide.
The experience onboard Whale Watch 1 will provide the closest experience available on the Gold Coast should the whales decide they wish to approach us. The benefits of working with our incredible vessel is her ability to minimise our sound footprint during interactions with the whales which is part of her specific design.
Departure Locations
Departing from the heart of the Gold Coast, our tours have four flexible pickup locations available to provide the best departure venue for your itinerary.
Appel Park Pontoon (Surfers Paradise)
Perfect for those staying in Surfers Paradise or planning to explore the area after their tour, the brand new facilities located at Appel Park provide easy boarding. Parking, public transport and drop-off lanes are available within walking distance providing flexible options.
Marina Park Pontoon (The Spit)
Great access and centrally located at Doug Jennings Park there is plenty of free parking available. Perfect for those who are self driving and should you wish to explore the area after your tour there is a fantastic cafe located at The Spit. Easy boarding and closest departure location to the whales..
Broadwater Parklands Pontoon (Southport)
A beautiful and fun parkland located in Southport and a perfect departure location for those wanting to join us from outside of Surfers Paradise. Ample parking is available along with public transport and taxi options. The beautiful parkland that surrounds Southport Pier provides a wonderful way to relax and take in the sights of the Broadwater before or after your tour.
Sanctuary Cove
Sanctuary Cove is a waterfront locale that embodies coastal luxury. Featuring a first-class resort & residences, complemented by a world-class marina, two championship golf courses, signature events and a thriving retail and dining precinct. Located at 4601 Masthead Way, Hope Island, QLD.
Brisbane Shuttle Bus
The beautiful city of Brisbane is located only one hour from the Gold Coast. Join The Pod® onboard our Humpback Express chauffeured transfers which depart from the heart of Brisbane for a personalised, guided tour to the Humpback Highway in Surfers Paradise.
