There is something absolutely unforgettable about spotting a whale in the wild—especially when it’s breaching metres from the boat, putting on a show or cruising by the shoreline with a baby in tow (I’ve seen it—you’ll never fully recover).
From May through to December, Western Australia’s coast becomes a highway for migrating humpbacks, southern rights, minkes and the elusive blue whales, offering up some seriously magical moments for those who know where to look.
Whether you want to soak it all in from a clifftop or get front-row seats on a boat tour, here’s Urban List’s guide for whale watching in Perth and Western Australia.
Whale Watching Perth
Hillarys
You don’t have to venture far to spot a whale—just head to Hillarys and jump aboard one of Rottnest Fast Ferries’ 2-hour cruises, running daily throughout the peak of the 2025 season which starts on 15 August and runs until 9 November. With a 100% sighting guarantee (or you go again for free), it’s one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to witness WA’s incredible whale migration.
There’s nothing quite like seeing a humpback breach right beside the boat—soaring out of the water before crashing back down in a massive splash. One moment they’re slapping their tails, the next they’re twisting to the side and lifting a fin like they’re waving hello. It’s surreal, powerful and almost otherworldly—like watching a scene from a David Attenborough doco unfold in real life.
Every cruise is guided by a marine biologist, so in between gasps, you’ll learn a thing or two about these gentle giants and the importance of protecting their ocean playground. Adult tickets are around $75, with family passes available too.
Whale Watch Western Australia
Fremantle, Bremer Bay, Augusta
For a luxury front-row seat to one of nature’s most awe-inspiring spectacles, this sixth-generation family-run tour delivers in spades. Departing from Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour—one of the state’s most historic ocean hubs—their seasonal tours take you right into the action, all on board a 25m cataran complete with five viewing points, expert commentary, an underwater camera, and a hydrophone so you can hear the whales as they cruise beneath the boat.
From April to May, you can jump onboard to witness the arrival of the planet’s largest animal—the blue whale, as it feeds in one of the only known hotspots on earth. Then from August to December, it’s all about the southern humpback migration—mothers, calves, juveniles and pods passing close to shore, tail slapping and breaching through calm, sheltered waters.
Single tour tickets start at $95, but for the true enthusiasts (and a seriously incredible gift) the Annual Pod Pass ($795) gives you access to the full WA migration calendar, with a chance to spot orcas, humpbacks, blue whales and southern right whales throughout the year.
Wadjemup (Rottnest Island)
There’s something truly magical about spotting a maamoong (whale) from the shores of Wadjemup/Rottnest Island. Each year between August and December—sometimes as early as June—around 35,000 migrating whales cruise past the island, lingering in the calm, protected waters to rest and play with their newborn calves.
Whale sightings can happen as early as the ferry ride over (can personally attest to this), so bag a window seat or head for the open-air deck to soak up the salty air and keep an eye out for blowhole sprays and barnacled backs. Once you’re on the island, the West End is your best bet—ride or bus it out to Cape Vlamingh and Cathedral Rocks, where binocular-equipped viewing platforms offer sweeping ocean vistas and regular sightings of dolphins, fur seals and osprey too.
Closer to the main settlement, Pinky Beach, Bathurst Lighthouse and Little Armstrong Bay also make for solid whale-watching vantage points with minimal effort. And if you’re chasing the most cinematic view of all, jump aboard a Rottnest Air-Taxi for a scenic flight over the island—you might just spot a pod gliding through the turquoise shallows from above.
Margaret River Region
The Margaret River Region offers one of the longest—and most spectacular—whale watching seasons in the country. From June through to early December, you’ll spot humpbacks, southern rights, minkes and even blue whales as they make their epic journey between Antarctica and the warmer waters of WA.
From June to August, head to Flinders Bay in Augusta, where you’ll often see southern rights calving in the shallows and humpbacks showing off—breaching, spy-hopping, and tail-slapping their way through courtship. This is one of the only places in the world where the two species interact, and the action is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
As the season rolls on, the whales head north to give birth, before making their way back down the coast. From September to early December, they return to the sheltered waters of Geographe Bay near Dunsborough and Busselton, where mothers and calves rest and play just offshore.
Take it all in from land along the Cape to Cape Track, the top of Cape Leeuwin or Cape Naturaliste lighthouse, or hop aboard a cruise departing from Augusta, Busselton or Dunsborough for a closer look. With everything from luxe catamarans to eco-charters available, there’s an option for every kind of ocean-lover. Check out all the options here.
Naturaliste Charters
Bremer Bay, Busselton, Dunsborough, Augusta And Albany
If you’re up for the drive to Bremer Bay (or a quick flight,) then this bucket-list experience should be on your hit list. From December to April, this remote stretch of coast becomes the stage for a wildly impressive marine spectacle: orcas hunting in pods, breaching in unison, and showing off their apex predator status. Their full-day expeditions at $395pp are not for the faint-hearted—expect wild conditions, chilly winds and of course the chance for these beauties to show off why they get their name of being a killer whale—even if they look like the pandas of the sea. If you can brave the conditions, the payoff is huge. You might even be lucky enough to see sperm whales, pilot whales, beaked whales, dolphins, oceanic blue sharks and sunfish aboard the 23m purpose-built boat with panoramic views, expert commentary from marine biologists, pro photography (included) and premium catering to keep spirits high between sightings. And yes, they stay out longer than any other operator.
If you can’t swing the road trip, Naturaliste Charters also runs seasonal tours across the South West. From May to August, head to Augusta to spot southern right and humpback whales. Then from August to November, jump aboard from Dunsborough—literally from the beach—and cruise into Geographe Bay, where humpbacks and blue whales rest and nurse their calves before the long journey back to Antarctica. Wherever you go, there's a sighting guarantee—no whales, go again for free.
Ningaloo Region
Coral Bay & Exmouth
I’ve always loved the ocean, but every time I visit the Ningaloo, I’m floored all over again. It’s not just the reef, or the impossible shades of turquoise—it’s the sheer abundance of marine life. Whale sharks might get most of the spotlight, and believe me, I could rave all day about the moment I laid eyes on one, but honestly, spotting a humpback is something not to be missed.
I’ve been lucky enough to jump on a few ocean tours and can safely say Coral Bay Ecotours are one of the best. My day out on the boat was the most unforgettable whale watching experience of my life. The water was alive with mothers and their calves, cruising through the shallows of the reef. We watched in complete awe as a mum went by with a baby on their back, and then the next had her calf tucked under her fin and swam alongside the reef to hide the baby and protect it from predators—seeing this from above on a drone was a moment I still think about. Sometimes the whales were so relaxed we’d just cut the engine and float there with a ‘sleepy’ whale drifting beside us. Other times, they’d erupt into tail slaps and full-body breaches like they were putting on a private show.
The tours start from $130 per person but my advice is to up the ante and book a full day safari where you can swim with them. Ningaloo is the only place in WA where you can have an in-water interaction and I’m going to have to contain myself because this is after all a ‘whale watching’ recommendation. Let me just say—seeing one of these 19-metre giants glide past you in the open water? I don’t really know how to describe it. There’s nothing like it.
Broome
And finally, there’s Broome—a place that doesn’t just deliver on sunsets and red dirt contrasts, but also happens to be one of the best whale watching destinations on the planet.
From late June through to September, Broome becomes your front-row seat to the action. These gentle giants travel to the Kimberley’s warm waters, taking shelter in the Buccaneer and Bonaparte Archipelagos to mate and give birth, undisturbed and protected by the region’s reef-dotted coastline.
Out on the water, it’s not uncommon to spot pods cruising by, tails slapping and bodies breaching in full acrobatic display. Add in a backdrop of manta rays, turtles, dolphins and dugongs, and you’ve got a scene that ticks all the wildlife experience boxes.
Whether you're soaking it all in on a sunset cruise or heading out with a local eco-tour operator, watching a humpback breach off the Kimberley coast is a pretty special way to round out WA’s whale watching season.
Don't fancy whales? Check out the best day trips around Perth.
Design Credit: Sarah Law