Today’s weather was ideal, so I headed to the cliffs at Cape Schank for some top whale-watching from land an hour from Melbourne. Going out on boats isn’t for everyone and as they say, the best cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree. If you know and when to go looking, there are a few good spots to search for whales from the comfort of the shoreline. However, because you can’t go towards where the animals are, you’ll need some time and a bit of equipment to make the most of things.
We’ll look at areas in Melbourne and just beyond, in South Australia and New South Wales, and the time of year to go.
What are the common large whales of southeast Australia?
There are many species of whale and dolphin but I will concentrate on just three species here. Two of these, Humpback Whale and Southern Right Whale, are the ones you’re most likely to see. The third, Blue Whale, is generally a bit further offshore and occurs at a completely different time of year. You can read more about its fascinating ecology here. Here’s a quick guide to telling them apart, when they occur and what they do. Killer Whales are also seen regularly enough but are unpredictable. If you do spot one, you will know what they are … they are the ones with the males that have a six foot high dorsal fin and big white eye patches.
Humpback Whale
Humpback Whales migrate through Victoria on their way to northern Australia and beyond. Some of these end up hitting our coast and turning east up the coast of New South Wales between late June and early July. The majority that come south do so from about September to late November and pass down the east coast.
Identification
They have a prominent dorsal fin that sits on top of a slight hump in the back. When diving they frequently lift their tails, revealing white patterns underneath. They frequently slap very long black and white flippers on the water and leap spectacularly.
Southern Right Whale
Southern Right Whales migrate to our coast from the subtropical convergence (an area of rich feeding between here and the Antarctic) in June and breed in bays until about September. They are common at the Head of Bight and less so further east, although numbers are increasing.
Identification
They have no dorsal fin and the head is covered in beige patches called callosities. They tend to swim with a low profile and can be quite hard to spot. They can be quite playful and will frequently leap spectacularly. When on breeding grounds they often lift their tail above the water like a sail, or lie on their side and lift paddle-like flippers. There is often no significant difference in the blow compared to Humpback Whale.
Blue Whale (rare)
Blue Whales migrate to our coast from Indonesia and the Philippines along the coast from about November to March (white). They feed on krill in upwelling areas mostly from Portland (Vic) west but in recent years, mostly west of Kangaroo Island. They occur as far east as King Island.
Identification
Stark silvery blue in colour and covered in mottling. The blow is outstandingly tall but to the untrained eye, can still be confused with other species. The dorsal fin appears tiny, compared to the massive body. They frequently lift their tails when deep-diving for krill. When shallow-feeding, they will take a mouthful of krill and roll on one side, lifting long side flippers above the water.
What are the top places for whale-watching from land near Melbourne?
The best places are generally going to be headlands that stick out into the ocean. It gets you closer to the action. However, it rather depends on the species of whale. Humpback Whales pass through on migration and those that are hugging the coast will move between headland and headland. Southern Right Whales also migrate into our shores and seek out sheltered bays to raise calves – the most famous place being Head of Bight, where a hundred can be seen below the cliffs.
However, Southern Right Whales are also at home in the deep mid-ocean and quite often drift around offshore. Blue Whales are quite a different animals altogether. They are extremely fast and move between areas that support seasonally high-density krill patches. When they feed, they can deplete some areas quite quickly and move on, or they may stick around for weeks. It varies year on year.
I regularly organise trips for whale watching so if you’d like help organising travel to any of these places, let me know by following the link or emailing me on travel@wildiaries.com.
Here is a map showing some of the places in southeast Australia I would recommend looking for whales and the right season.
When is the best time of year to do whale-watching from land near Melbourne?
By far the best time of year to do whale-watching from land around Melbourne is in winter and early spring (June to September) as this is when the most populous species pass into our waters, to escape the permanent darkness of the Antarctic winter. At other times of year, the more adventurous can try to see species like Blue Whales.
Jan – Mar
This is the peak time for Blue Whales off southeast Australia.
Apr – Jun
Humpback Whales and Southern Right Whales begin to appear off Melbourne in June.
Killer Whales appear off Victoria in late June.
Jul – Sep
The first half of July is the peak time to see Humpback Whales and Southern Right Whales off the coast south of Melbourne.
Killer Whales disappear from Victoria in mid-July.
Oct – Dec
Blue Whales start to appear late November and through December.
Killer Whales
Killer Whales occur seasonally with pods seeming to swim up and down the coast between southern New South Wales and at least as far as South Australia. The graph (left) is from a paper in 2008, where we documented the first resighting of Killer Whales between New South Wales and Victoria [1]. In actual fact, most Killer Whale sightings in Victoria occur between late June and early July, which is exactly when Humpback Whales are coming through. Here you can view a catalogue of Killer Whales recorded in eastern Australia [2].
How many whales are there?
You are about 100x more likely to see a Humpback Whale than a Southern Right Whale and about 600x less likely to see a Blue Whale. That is, unless you go to the precise locations where each species occurs at exactly the right time of year.
Humpback Whale
About 30,000 individuals [3]
Southern Right Whale
About 300 individuals [4]
Blue Whale
50 individuals [5]
What equipment do I need for whale-watching from land?
You will definitely need a pair of binoculars. I recommend a pair of 8 x 42. Eight times is the magnification and that’s plenty for viewing wildlife. 42 refers to the angle of view. A wider angle is generally easier because you can see more field of view and that makes it easier to spot something and then raise the optics to your eyes, without losing sight of the animal.
If you want to know more about ethical optics brands that aren’t supporting game hunting, far-right gun groups and military, this is a useful read.
A telescope (sometimes called a spotting scope) and tripod is a useful addition if you’re going to make this a regular thing. They usually come with eye-pieces that are 20-35x magnification. Once you’ve found a whale, you can use this to get an even better view.
Where can you find out more about whale-watching from land near Melbourne?
There are quite a few active social media groups for whale watching around Melbourne that you can tap into for the latest sightings. I hope you enjoyed reading. You can find out more about whales and dolphins here.
- Phillip Island Whale Watchers (VIC)
- Two Bays Whales (VIC)
- Phillip Island whale watchers LIVE alerts (VIC)
- Great Ocean Road Whales (VIC)
- Killer Whales Australia
- Victor Harbour (SA)
Read more about oceans, whales, dolphins and wildlife
- Mustoe, S.. (2008). Killer whale orcinus orca sightings in coastal victoria. Victorian Naturalist. 125. 76-81.
- Killer Whales of Eastern Australia 2018 Edition – Jan 2019.
- https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/humpback-whales-at-risk-from-population-explosion-20190304-p511me.html
- Stamation, Kasey & Watson, Mandy & Moloney, Paul & Charlton, C & Bannister, J. (2020). Population estimate and rate of increase of southern right whales Eubalaena australis in southeastern Australia. Endangered Species Research. 41. 10.3354/esr01031.
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-14/blue-whales-in-record-numbers-in-great-australian-bight/10786692
