Tasman Venture’s half-day whale watch encounters depart twice daily from the Hervey Bay Marina.
Passengers enjoy a tranquil cruise through the Great Sandy Strait, along the remote pristine western side of World Heritage listed Fraser Island to Australia’s ultimate humpback whale playground.
Our fast and luxurious catamaran enables you to travel to the whale watching grounds in the fastest possible time. This means more time with the whales for an unforgettable tour in the whale watch capital of the world.
Be on the lookout for Humpback whales and experience the thrill of getting up close and personal with these majestic creatures as they frolic in the calm, clear waters off Fraser Island. Immerse yourself with these gentle giants from our purpose designed vessel’s large decks, including our famous water level viewing platform and our underwater viewing windows.
Hervey Bay is where the whales come to stay and play. Our specifically designed vessel has large decks, including our famous water level viewing platform, offering unobstructed whale watching of these gentle giants of the sea.
Departure Information
- Daily departures from mid July to late October
- Great Sandy Straits Marina, Buccaneer Drive
- Morning tour 8:30am – 12:30pm
- Afternoon tour 1:30pm – 5:30pm
Tour Highlights
- Guaranteed sightings
- Underwater viewing windows
- Water level viewing platform
- Two trips daily
- Hydrophone
- Experienced crew
- Free WIFI
- Delicious morning or afternoon tea plus antipasti platter on return cruise
- Fully licensed
- Kids corner
- Luxurious, fast & air-conditioned
- Locally owned & operated
- Free courtesy transfers (Hervey Bay area)
Itinerary
Meeting and Safety Briefing
We will start boarding our Vessel for the day 15 minutes prior to departure at the Hervey Bay Marina. We’ll go over any safety concerns and brief you on the plan for the day’s tour before heading off for the days adventure.
Great Sandy Straits and Platypus Bay
Cruising out of the harbor we will travel across the Great Sandy Straits to Fraser Island where we meet Moon Point (the halfway point of Fraser Island). We will continue travelling north alongside Fraser Island into Platypus Bay. Keep a keen eye out for whales, dolphins, turtles and dugongs that are frequently seen on our journey.
Whale Watching Encounters
Be on the lookout for Humpback whales and experience the thrill of getting up close and personal with these majestic creatures as they frolic in the calm, clear waters off Fraser Island. Immerse yourself with these gentle giants from our purpose designed vessel’s large decks, including our famous water level viewing platform and our underwater viewing windows.
What to bring
- Camera
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
FAQ
Do you travel when it is raining?
- This tour operates rain or shine, except in the case of extreme weather.
When is Whale season?
- The Humpback Whales are observed in Hervey Bay during their southern migration which is usually during mid July – late October. The dates can vary year to year as the whales are wild animals and their migration changes slightly each year.
How many whales will I see?
- The number of whales we see on each tour varies greatly throughout the season. Our peak season is between August to September.
What if we don’t see any whales on our tour?
- Our Half Day Whale Watch Encounter tour offers a guaranteed sightings policy. It is very uncommon to not see whales during the season dates however if this does occur, we offer guests with an open dated return ticket.
How many people travel on your tour?
- During our whale season we limit our capacity to 80 passengers for our guests’ comfort. Due to COVID-19 restrictions we are not limiting our capacity to 58 passengers to ensure everyone’s safety.
What Marine life will I expect to see on your tour?
- During the whale season we guarantee that our guests travelling on our Half Day Whale Watch encounter will see whales however there are a wide variety of other marine life that we often observe during the tours. These include dolphins, turtles, birds and other whale species such as Southern Right whales and Minke whales.
What meals do you offer?
- We provide our guests aboard our Half Day Whale Watch Encounter tours with two light meal services. Morning or afternoon tea (cakes, biscuits, and focaccia bread) and an antipasto platter as well as complimentary tea, coffee and hot chocolate throughout the tour. Additional hot and cold food, beverages and souvenirs are available to purchase from the kiosk during the tour.
Is it better to travel in the morning or the afternoon?
- Humpback Whales are wild animals and for this reason we are unable to predict their behaviours. We do however not find that their behaviours have any specific pattern based on the time of the day, so we suggest choosing the tour time that suits you best.
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