A guide to Port Stephens whale watching

Increase your chances of spotting whales (and dolphins!) in Port Stephens with this handy guide.

Port Stephens is an aquatic wonderland, home to the Great Lakes Marine Park whose waters are thriving with marine life including hundreds of bottlenose dolphins who are often seen playfully frolicking in the local waters, sea turtles and more than 200 species of fish.

A woman and a man on a boat watching dolphins in the ocean.

Port Stephens is home to observing dolphins in the wild. (Image: The Legendary Pacific Coast)

Each year, it also becomes a temporary thoroughfare – known as the Humpback Highway – as whales make the great migration north, providing visitors with many excellent opportunities to spot these majestic mammals. Here is the ultimate guide to Port Stephens whale watching.

A humpback whale's tail coming out of the water.

Discover the splendid marine life of Port Stephens. (Image: Destination NSW)

When can you see whales in Port Stephens?

Every year, tens of thousands of humpback whales leave Antarctica and begin an epic journey of up to 10,000 kilometres along the east coast to the warmer waters of northern Australia. They mate and calve there, before returning along the same route towards the Southern Ocean. Port Stephens whale watching is usually best between June to August and September to October.

Mother and calf whales swimming in the ocean.

Discover majestic whales on your next holiday to Port Stephens. (Image: Destination NSW)

Where can I see whales in Port Stephens?

Spotting whales in Port Stephens is easy and can be done either from land or sea. You can join a whale watching cruise from d’Albora Marina, right in the heart of Nelson Bay (see below for more information), or you can head to one of the many Port Stephens lookouts for panoramic ocean views.

A boat in the ocean navigating to a beach.

Hop on a boat and cruise your way to one of Port Stephen’s best spots to witness amazing marine life with your own eyes. (Image: Destination NSW)

Tomaree Head Summit

Some of the best whale watching spots in Port Stephens include Tomaree Head Summit, located in Tomaree National Park.

Keep your eyes peeled for whales at Tomaree Head in Port Stephens. (Image: Jarryd Salem)

Take the short but Tomaree Head Summit Walk, which can take between one-and-a-half to two hours return. Follow the track through bushland dotted with gums, grass trees and banksia (you may even see koalas if you’re lucky). At the top, panoramic views across Port Stephens and the ocean are well worth the effort, and it’s an excellent vantage point to spot a pod of whales.

Two people standing on a platform overlooking the ocean and mountains.

The Tomaree Head Summit Walk offers rewarding views of the ocean. (Image: Destination NSW)

Barry Park

Humpbacks can also be seen from Barry Park, which has a specially built whale watching platform, at Fingal Bay Beach. Fingal Bay is also home to an 1862-built lighthouse, which is only accessible by boat.

Fingal Bay and its paradisaic beach are a must-see when visiting Port Stephens. (Image: Destination NSW)

Boat Harbour headland

Drive to Boat Harbour headland on Noamunga Street, just 15 minutes’ drive from Nelson Bay, and take the easy walk to Boat Harbour Whale Watching Lookout, following the signs from the car park.

Birubi Beach

Birubi Beach in Anna Bay is another great whale watching spot; grab a coffee from Crest Birubi Beach at the surf club and keep your eyes peeled for humpbacks off the beach.

People on stand up paddleboarding in the ocean.

Spend some time in Anna Bay and get down to Birubi Beach to spot some whales. (Image: Destination NSW)

Iris Moore picnic area

Pack some lunch and head to Iris Moore picnic area in Fishermans Bay. This grassed area has sweeping views of Birubi Beach and Worimi Conservation Lands and is a comfy spot to settle in for whale watching.

What time of day is whale watching best?

You can spot whales any time of the day, but calmer conditions – often early in the morning before winds and waves increase – is usually best so they are easier to see.

Watch whales throughout the day in Port Stephens. (Image: Moonshadow TQC Cruises)

Sunrise and sunset are also good times because this is said to be when they are most active, breaching and slapping their pectoral fins for show; the soft light also provides a beautiful backdrop for photography.

Get up early for sunrise or stay up for sunset for your chance to see whales, and get your camera out to take your best shot. A win-win. (Image: Destination NSW)

Of course, spotting whales is never guaranteed, and conditions are always dependent on the weather.

Best cruises for whale watching

Departing from d’Alboro Marina, these Nelson Bay whale watching cruises make spotting whales easy.

Moonshadow – TCQ Cruises

Moonshadow – TCQ Cruises has been running cruises for more than 40 years and has seven different vessels for whale watching, dolphin watching, historical cruises, dinner cruises and more.

Cruises are the perfect opportunity for whale watching. (Image: Moonshadow TQC Cruises)

Departing daily from Nelson Bay, the whale watching cruises run for two-and-a-half to three hours between May and November. There is a fully licensed bar onboard for snacks and drinks.

Get close to whales in Nelson Bay. (Image: Moonshadow TQC Cruises)

Imagine Cruises

Another long-running cruise operator is ecotourism Imagine Cruises, which offers whale watching, dolphin watching, snorkelling, eco walks, dinner cruises and more. It runs daily 90-minute express whale watching cruise on board a 40-foot power cat run by AquaMarine Adventures, as well as a daily three-hour-plus whale and dolphin watching cruise on a 53-foot catamaran.

People on a boat watching and photographing dolphins in the water.

In Nelson Bay, you can also spot dolphins. (Image: Imagine Cruises)

Blue Water Sailing

If you’d prefer a private whale watching charter, where you don’t have to hustle for a good view of a whale breaching, check out Blue Water Sailing. It has luxury yachts available for a three-hour cruise for up to six people.

What to bring and other tips

Because whale watching occurs over the winter months, you’ll need to wear warm clothes.

Consider packing a wind jacket, as it can get windy out on the ocean, and a waterproof jacket is a good idea in case of wet weather or ocean spray.

Pack a hat and sunscreen, as even during winter the sun can burn, especially when reflecting off the water.

Take binoculars with you, especially if you’re trying to spot whales from the land.

If you’re heading out on a boat, and you’re prone to sea sickness, prepare yourself by taking sea sickness tablets and taking a sick bag (though many cruise operators will have these on board in case of the unfortunate event that you do get sick!).

If you’re heading up to Tomaree Head Summit, be sure to wear some good walking shoes.

Download the Wild About Whales app, which has been developed by the Office of Environment and Heritage NSW, so you can track sightings and learn about whale species at the same time.

Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens, and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

1. Stockton Sand Dunes

Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands, a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape.

Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head. Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens.

Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Watch out for whales

You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile

See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Diving Port Stephens

Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure.

Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay.

Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

7. Fish the estuaries

Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

three men fishing on a boat in port stephens

Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au.