Whale Watching Batemans Bay, Eurobodalla, South coast
Humpback Whales Batemans Bay
Experience One of Nature’s Greatest Migrations
Experience the incredible humpback whale migration on the NSW South Coast with Game On Charters. Departing Batemans Bay, our whale watching tours give you the opportunity to see humpback whales and other marine life in their natural environment.
Every year, the spectacular coastline around Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast becomes part of one of the world’s great wildlife journeys as thousands of humpback whales migrate along Australia’s eastern coastline.
Travelling between the rich feeding grounds of Antarctica and the warmer breeding waters to the north, humpback whales undertake an extraordinary round-trip migration of approximately 10,000 kilometres.
During their journey, these magnificent animals pass the Batemans Bay Eurobodalla region, creating incredible opportunities to see whales in their natural environment.
When Can You See Humpback Whales in Batemans Bay?
The humpback whale migration along the NSW South Coast generally has two distinct periods.
From May through July, whales travel north along the NSW coastline towards warmer subtropical waters, where they breed and give birth.
From around September through November, the whales make their return journey south towards Antarctica. This part of the migration can be particularly special, with mothers and their young calves travelling together along the coast
Every trip is different. Whales may be seen quietly cruising, travelling in groups or displaying the spectacular surface behaviour that has made humpbacks famous around the world.
Comfortable & Spacious Vessels
At Game On Charters Batemans Bay, we believe a great day on the water should be comfortable, enjoyable and safe. Our two spacious charter vessels, Seabee, a 36ft Riviera, and Notorious, a 42ft West Coaster, provide an excellent platform for exploring Batemans Bay, the Tollgate Islands and the spectacular Eurobodalla coast
Seabee – 36ft Riviera
Seabee offers a comfortable and spacious environment with excellent viewing opportunities, allowing passengers to move around and enjoy different vantage points when whales, dolphins and other marine life are spotted.
With plenty of sheltered and dry areas, passengers can get out of the wind and weather while still enjoying their time on the water. There’s also ample space to relax between wildlife encounters, making Seabee a great choice for families and groups.
Knotorious – 42ft West Coaster
At 42 feet, Notorious provides an exceptionally spacious platform for our Batemans Bay whale watching cruises.
Her generous deck areas provide plenty of room for passengers, with excellent 360 degree viewing around the vessel. The additional space is particularly valuable when whale watching, giving everyone the opportunity to find a comfortable position when the action begins.
Comfortable for the Whole Family
Our spacious vessels are well suited to families, children, elderly passengers and larger groups. With room to move around, sheltered areas and excellent viewing positions, you can enjoy the experience without feeling crowded.
Both vessels carry all the required marine safety equipment for their commercial operations, and our experienced crew place passenger safety and comfort at the centre of every trip.
Whether you’re watching a humpback whale breach, spotting dolphins around the Tollgate Islands or simply enjoying the beautiful South Coast scenery, our vessels provide a comfortable and practical way to experience Batemans Bay from the water.
Two Spacious Vessels with on board toilets • Great Viewing opportunities • Sheltered & Dry Areas • Family Friendly • Large Groups • Experienced Crew
Come aboard Game On Charters and experience whale watching and marine wildlife adventures in comfort on the beautiful NSW South Coast.
Why Batemans Bay is Special During Whale Season
With its beautiful coastline, open ocean and surrounding islands and headlands, Batemans Bay provides a spectacular setting for whale watching on the NSW South Coast.
Seeing a humpback whale from the water gives you a completely different appreciation of its size and behaviour. The sound of a whale breathing at the surface, the sight of a tail disappearing beneath the water or a full breach nearby can become one of the most memorable experiences of a visit to the South Coast
Whale Watching with Game On Charters
At Game On Charters Batemans Bay, we love sharing the waters of the Eurobodalla South Coast and the incredible marine life that visits our region.
Our Batemans Bay whale watching tours give locals and visitors the opportunity to head offshore and experience the annual humpback whale migration from the water.
No two whale watching trips are ever the same. These are wild animals travelling through their natural environment, and that unpredictability is part of what makes every encounter special.
Whether you’re visiting Batemans Bay for a South Coast holiday, travelling with family and friends, or simply want to experience these magnificent animals for yourself, join Game On Charters and discover the humpback whales of the NSW South Coast.
What Might You See?
Humpback whales are among the most active and entertaining whale species. During a whale watching experience you may be lucky enough to witness:
Breaching – a whale launching much of its body clear of the water before crashing back into the ocean.
Tail slapping – powerful movements of the whale’s enormous tail, or fluke, against the surface.
Pectoral fin slapping – humpbacks have exceptionally long pectoral fins and can repeatedly slap them against the water.
Fluke-up dives – the classic sight of a humpback’s tail rising above the surface as the whale dives.
Mothers and calves – during the southern migration, mothers can often be seen travelling with the calves born during the breeding season.
Dolphins – We often come across pods of bottle nose dolphins, and let us assure they love to play under the nose of the boat while we search for the whales, we also frequently encounter the resident pod inside the tollgate harbour.
SeaBirds – we often encounter a multitude of seabirds on our trips.
And sometimes the experience is simply watching these enormous animals surface, breathe and quietly travel through the waters of the NSW South Coast.
Incredible Humpback Whale Facts
Adult humpback whales can grow to around 14–18 metres in length and weigh up to 40 tonnes.
Despite their enormous size, humpbacks are remarkably agile and are famous for their spectacular breaches, rolls and fin slaps.
Humpbacks are baleen whales, meaning they do not have teeth. Instead, they use plates of baleen to filter food such as krill and small fish from the water.
They are also famous for their complex vocalisations. Male humpback whales produce long and distinctive songs, with patterns that can gradually change from year to year.
Customer Reviews
Our Charters
May - July
In May Humpback Whales begin passing by Batemans Bay on their Northern Migration coming from antarctic waters in the south. By early August these whales have moved onto their breeding grounds up north around the equator. On the northern Migration we see a lot of breaching whales and active males showing their dominance to impress females for mating.
July - August
From July to September we have occasional sightings of Southern Right Whales. These whales are not seen as often as Humpbacks which we see on almost every cruise. Southern Right Whales are similar in size, but don't follow a yearly migration like the Humpback Whales. In September we also have the first whales on their way south again.
August - December
Mid to late August to the beginning of December the whales are now all swimming south and we start seeing mothers with their newborn calves. They tend to spend more time on surface and swim slower (so that the calf can keep up!) although occasionally we will see some long down times. This part of the season is best for Muggings were the whales will come up close to the boat and investigate us!
WHERE
We are lucky enough to witness one of the longest whale migrations in the world straight off the coast of Batemans Bay with around 20.000 animals passing the Bay each year.
Humpbacks have a wide geographic range and are found in all the world’s oceans. During summer months, populations in the southern hemisphere spend their time in Antarctica feeding. In late autumn they begin an annual migratory route to their winter breeding and calving grounds in the warmer tropical waters of the Pacific. They return south in spring.
Humpback whales migrate around 5000km on average, one of the longest migratory journeys of any mammal on Earth.
Seabirds of Batemans Bay
The Tollgate Islands and Batemans Marine Park provide important habitat for a variety of coastal and ocean-going birds. Depending on the season and conditions, you may spot wedge-tailed shearwaters, short-tailed shearwaters, Australasian gannets, crested terns, cormorants, silver gulls and oystercatchers.
Further offshore, you may also be fortunate enough to encounter some of the great ocean wanderers, including albatrosses, particularly during the cooler months.
Little penguins also occur around the offshore islands of the Batemans Bay region. These small and charismatic seabirds spend much of their time at sea, coming ashore to rest and breed.
Another impressive sight is the white-bellied sea eagle, which can often be seen soaring above the coastline and offshore islands searching for fish and other prey.
The Tollgate Islands
Rising dramatically from the ocean just off Batemans Bay, the Tollgate Islands are one of the area’s most recognisable natural landmarks and an important habitat for seabirds and marine wildlife.
The rocky islands and surrounding waters provide feeding, resting and nesting areas for numerous species. During a cruise around the islands, keep an eye on the cliffs, rocky ledges and water around the boat — you never know what wildlife may appear.
More Than Just Whale Watching
One of the great things about heading onto the ocean is that every trip is different.
Along with humpback whales during migration season, the waters around Batemans Bay may provide opportunities to see dolphins, seals, seabirds and other marine life in their natural environment.
From a gannet diving into a school of baitfish to shearwaters gliding effortlessly above the waves, these encounters are all part of experiencing the diverse marine environment of the NSW South Coast.
