When is the Gold Coast whale watching season?
Our tour listing runs May to November; the peak sightings are June to November. Humpbacks migrating from Antarctica follow the continental shelf, which runs closest to the shoreline between Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, so this is a prime place to see them.
To confirm with Lachy: confirm the published season for the site: May to November (tour page and Rezdy) or June to November (FAQ), and the first and last whale watching dates for the 2027 season.
Northbound and southbound
Whales head north first, usually led by mothers with last year's calf, then juveniles, sub-adults and adults, with pregnant females last. On the southbound leg they often turn and swim straight over to the boat, a behaviour known as "a mugging". More on our humpback whales page.
Mothers and calves in late October and November
If you want to try to see mothers and calves, come in late October or November. The Gold Coast Bay has become a birthing and nursing ground, with more cow and calf pairs seen from Surfers Paradise to Coolangatta (read why).
Best time to see whales on the Gold Coast
Behaviours change throughout the whale season on the Gold Coast. Mugging increases in late August and September, though it can happen any time from May to November. There is no best time of day, so pick the 7:00am, 10:30am or 2:00pm departure (Queensland time) that suits you. The best time to swim with whales is August to October. See the prices and weather policy before you book.
Month by month
Dates move a little each year.
| Month | What the season brings |
|---|---|
| May | Our tour listing season opens. In 2023, whale watching tours began on the last weekend in May. |
| June | Peak sightings begin (June to November). In 2023, whale swims began on 15 June. |
| July | Inside the June to November peak sightings window. |
| August | The best time to swim with whales begins (August to October). From late August, more whales start 'mugging' the boat. |
| September | Mugging increases through late August to September, during the southbound part of the migration. |
| October | The whale swim window ends. From late October, look for mothers and calves. Daylight saving starts in NSW; our tours stay on Queensland time. |
| November | Mothers and calves, and the end of the season. |
Looking back: the 2023 whale season
Whale hello there. It is that time of the year again (our favourite time) when the humpback whales migrate north, passing our coastline off the Gold Coast, Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, on the east coast of Australia.
In fact, we like to refer to the Gold Coast as the 'Humpback Highway' because between May and November each year it is an absolute mecca for whale watching. In the 2023 season, Cooly Eco Adventures ran whale watching tours as usual from the last weekend in May through to the last day of October, and whale swims from 15 June until 8 October.
Each year the humpback whale undertakes the longest mammal migration on the planet, travelling up to 10,000km return from Antarctica. Sometimes they travel so close to the shoreline you are lucky enough to spot them from the beaches of Coolangatta, Kirra, Kingscliff and Tweed, but truly nothing beats seeing them up close in their natural environment. That is why we encourage you to jump onboard our intimate and fun whale watching tours, where you will experience these enormous mammals up close and personal on our safari-style tours with no more than 12 guests.
When we wrote about the 2023 season, humpback whale numbers had increased by 10% each year for the past decade, bringing them back from near extinction in 1962, when commercial whaling was outlawed and the humpback population in Australian waters was a mere couple of hundred. The thriving population on the east coast of Australia then sat at roughly 40,000, migrating directly through the waters off the Gold Coast.
We have strict guidelines to follow when approaching whales, however, lucky for all of us, humpback whales are extremely curious and friendly creatures and usually come over for a closer look at us. This is where our safari-style open-ocean RIB (rigid inflatable boat) really makes the difference to your experience, because it allows unobstructed viewing from every seat and you are so close to the water that a whale's blow or pec splash might actually spray your face.
Whales are such friendly and curious creatures that love to check out what we are up to on the water, sometimes even spy hopping and giving us a nice warm wave. They have incredible patterns that are unique to each individual on their pectoral fins, bellies and the underside of their tails. That means if you are out on the water with us and you get a photo of the underside of a tail, you can send it off to happywhale.com, where you get the chance to name a humpback whale yourself. If that is not a goal in life, we don't know what is. What we do know is that the whale migration through the Gold Coast should not be missed.
Ready to see them up close? Book our whale watching tour on the Gold Coast, or find out about our swim with whales tour.
More questions
Can you see whales from the beach on the Gold Coast?
Sometimes. Humpbacks can travel so close to the shoreline that you may spot them from the beaches of Coolangatta, Kirra, Kingscliff and Tweed, but nothing beats seeing them up close from the water.
When can I see humpback mothers and calves?
Come in late October or November if you want to try to see mothers and calves.
