When is the best time to see whales on the Gold Coast?

by Pip B
(Christchurch, NZ)

I am coming to the Gold Coast and I want to see whales. When is the best time to see whales on the Gold Coast? And what is the best way to see the whales?

ANSWER
Whale watching season on the Gold Coast is from June until end of October. The whales seem to arrive on queue late May and the whale watching tours gear up to start their trips from 1st June.

In the early part of the season you will see whales migrating north to give birth, in the middle of the season you will see whales going both ways! The whales coming south can include mothers and their newly born calves.

There are still whales during early November, but by that time, most have already made their journey home. Most whale watching tours stop on 31st October.

There are a few different ways to see the whales:

• Whale watching tours


• Headlands and vantage points such as Point Danger or from South Stradbroke Island


• High rise viewing - from the balcony of a high rise beachside in areas like Main Beach, Surfers Paradise or Broadbeach.