Hervey Bay Whale Swim and Watch
Hervey Bay, Australia
Hervey Bay Whale Swim and Watch
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Hervey Bay, Australia
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
Overview
Maximize your chances of seeing whales, and getting close to them, on this guided tour from Hervey Bay. Head out into the water in search of whales. Jump into the water for some snorkeling and, with luck, the whales will decide to swim close to you. Whale sighting from the boat is guaranteed between August and mid-October—if you don’t see them, you can get a refund or book another cruise.
- Get insights into whale behavior from your guide
- Includes lunch, hot drinks, snorkeling gear, and wetsuits
- Enjoy snorkeling close to whales when conditions allow
- Ideal for adventurous travelers who want to get close to nature
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
What To Expect
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Elena_S
It was absolutely wonderful! Such a unique and unforgettable experience! We saw so many humpback whales, including mothers with their calves, and witnessed countless breaches. The highlight was definitely getting the chance to swim with them, truly magical! The crew was amazing, super friendly and professional. Couldn’t have asked for a better day!
Reviews
4.9
based on 205 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Maud_H, Oct 2025
I wanted to thank your team for their professionalism and care during our recent whale swim tour. The staff were excellent, friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about marine life.
However, I wanted to raise a concern regarding the experience itself. We had booked and paid specifically for a *whale swim*, but during our outing, we were not informed beforehand that there would be multiple calves in the area. As your staff mentioned on the day, swimming near calves is not permitted for safety and conservation reasons — which we completely understand and respect.
The disappointment, however, is that this meant we were unable to actually swim with the whales as advertised. We essentially participated in a whale-watching trip instead, which is a very different experience from what we booked and paid for.
Given this, I’d like to request a partial compensation or credit, as we did not receive the full whale swimming experience described at the time of booking.
I appreciate your understanding and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Selena_T, Sep 2025
Couldn't have asked for a better day, weather was perfect, staff were great, and boy did the whales put on a show. Saw 2 pods of males frollicking, breaching, slapping the water with there fins and tail. Mothers with their babies, one even had a suckle while we were watching. I would thoroughly recommend this charter company and would love to go again next season.
Chris_P, Sep 2025
Great day on the water - saw heaps of humpbacks and got to swim with a couple of curious whales. Trip included snacks all day and lunch which was an added bonus.
Paul_R, Sep 2025
The whole trip was wonderful.We saw loads of whales and then had the most amazing experience getting into the water with two enormous humpbacks. Utterly fantastic!
The crew were so friendly and Captain Ed was very knowledgeable which added to the day.
Can’t recommend enough.
Elena_S, Sep 2025
It was absolutely wonderful! Such a unique and unforgettable experience! We saw so many humpback whales, including mothers with their calves, and witnessed countless breaches. The highlight was definitely getting the chance to swim with them, truly magical! The crew was amazing, super friendly and professional. Couldn’t have asked for a better day!
Kylie_W, Sep 2025
Great day on the water watching whales. Captain and staff amazing.
Didn't get a chance to get to close to whales unfortunately in water but was heaps to see
Jessie_L, Sep 2025
Best experience ever!!! Really nice team and saw lots of whales. Would highly recommend and definitely coming back in the future!
Edward_J, Sep 2024
Great crew helping out (my wife was seasick). Lots of whale sightings. However, the whales did not co-operate for a swim.
Anjali_A, Sep 2024
Could not recommend this tour enough! Mobi, Ines and Ed were fantastic :)
We saw lots of whales, got in the water with a couple. Even though it is not guaranteed, the crew try their best!
Petra_H, Aug 2024
Having the whales coming up close to the boat. These are majestic animals that made the experience truly memorable
Summer_W, Aug 2024
This trip was 6 year sin the making. We were never own the right place at the right time. This experience is one we'll never forget! The staff was so kind and friendly. The owners made you feel like you've known them forever and were just as excited as we were to experience these beautiful creatures. They were happy to share the knowledge of the surrounding islands and facts about the ocean and the whales themselves. They made sure everyone had a chance to make the most of this experience. Thank you so much for such a beautiful day out. We've said this will be an annual trip.
Thank you for having us and thank you for the wonderful food you supplied us with all throughout the day. Thank you for making this experience comfortable and so full of magic. 1000% recommend.
Linda_W, Aug 2024
Although the weather wasn't great - not the tours fault, the experience was still fantastic. All the staff on the boat was great, it was a nice touch having the muffins, sweets and chocolate on the way back. The captain did a great job locating the whales. The visibility wasn't great in the water due to the weather, but we got great sightings on the boat.
Bree_D, Jul 2024
Awesome day out with some pretty amazing creatures. The staff were very experienced and knowledgeable which resulted in some very close up encounters . Would definitely recommend.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you Bree for your review, we are so happy that you had an awesome day :-)...
Melissa_C, Jul 2024
We had an amazing time on our tour! The crew was friendly, knowledgeable, and took us to wherever the participants spotted a whale. It felt much more engaging than just being driven to the whales. They had drinks and snacks and were very accommodating. We saw so many whales! As soon as they assessed that the whales were engaging with us, they directed us right in the water! It was a life changing experience. Everyone on the tour was in great spirits, spotting them together and enjoying each others company on such a fun tour. I can’t recommend it enough.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Wow.. Thanks Melissa for the kind words.. It is definitely the customers that make our day as well as being in Nature.. :-)
Warwick_P, Oct 2023
The whales! So many, so close and so playful. A genuine privilege to see these amazing gentle giants in their element. It does the soul good to be a part of nature at play. Good zen.
Daria_H, Sep 2023
If you looking for small boat and group this is your choice!
Well organised trip with an amazing crew.
Captain have massive knowledge about whales and marine life and also good sense of humour.
Crew is helpful and easy going.
Michael can take care of your kids and you. He’s not as funny as he thinks but in the middle of ocean you can’t complain 😜
We weren’t able to swim with any whales sadly but even without it trip was very satisfying.
Highly recommend.
- lady with the blue hair
Sharon_M, Aug 2023
The team were all so friendly and made the experience safe and fun! The opportunity to swim with the whales was so special and incredible! Something everyone needs to do! We will definitely be back!
Andrea_G, Aug 2023
We saw so many whales and were astounded by how curious they were and how close to the boat they came.
An amazing experience with a fantastic crew
Ashley_R, Aug 2023
What a wonderful experience my family of 5 had. We ran a little late die to pur drive from Mooloolaba but I called and they were super nice and measured all of us quickly and reassured us everything was ok. We had coffee and tea with cookies. As soon as we spotted whales the skipper had us in the water in no time as the rest of the guest on board made whale sounds for us to attract the whales. I felt safe as I'm not a strong swimmer but the wet suit gave us so much buoyancy, it was hard not to float. Snorkel gear was great. We all took turns being on the mermaid line. Take your go-pro, water & water shoes in a water tight bag. Crew on board fed us sub sandwiches, soda, fruit, chocolates, and gummy candies. Glad I didn't pack snacks or water. Water was cold but wet suit kept me warm. Whale sightings were wonderful in and out of the water. A stood on the ladder a few times and dipped my body and head a few times. Crew gave is a few facts on board about whales and constantly checked in with us making sure we all had a turn at the end of the mermaid line.
Carolyn_M, Aug 2022
Fabulous crew and Captain. Made the most of seeing the whales at varied locations.
So helpful. Food and snacks and hot drinks great. A fantastic day
Response from Host, Aug 2022
Thank you Carolyn for the review. We really appreciate the feedback and we are so happy that you had a fantastic day. Rachel and the HBDC Team :-)
Joanne_W, Aug 2022
We were very close to the whales which was really exciting. The swim with the whales was not so great as the clarity of the water meant it was very difficult to see underwater and the rope was not close enough to actually feel like you were interacting worth the whales.
Response from Host, Aug 2022
Thanks for your review Joanne, hopefully we may see you again in the future. HBDC Team.
Roslyn_F, Aug 2022
Everything. The crew were fantastic. The whales really performed and swam right up to us. My non swimmer hubby even swam with them as they have such great procedures
Response from Host, Aug 2022
Thank you for the awesome review Roslyn, we are so happy that you both had a great day. Cheers Rachel and HBDC Team
Susan_E, Aug 2022
The whale experience on board the boat was absolutely amazing! The whales were so close! The swim with the whales was not as good - too crowded on the rope & unfortunately couldn’t see much. The staff were friendly & knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Aug 2022
The whales are great fun! The whale swim is really up to the whale to engage to give the best visual experience. It’s nature!
Kim_R, Jul 2022
The whole day was wonderful. Staff were great, knowledgeable and couldn’t do enough. We got to swim with the whales plus have close up viewings on the boat. Recommend this trip - do yourself a favour and book on. We’ll be back.
Michele_L, Sep 2021
staff were fantastic. 🐋 even better. food just kept coming lots of snacks. it was a great day and an enjoyable experience
Christine_E, Sep 2021
We saw so many whales! A real bucket list experience. The smaller boat and numbers made the experience more personal and we never struggled to see the action.
Sharon_N, Aug 2021
Whale watching is such an amazing experience. The small boat gives you a better view of them especially when they come close. Being able to get in the water with the whales is an extra special experience
Julie_M, Aug 2021
Such a memorable day in so many ways. Ed, our captain, did a terrific job of finding the whales whilst Grant discussed what we were seeing. Although it was a rather blustery day we still saw plenty of whales. Definitely a must do when visiting Hervey Bay!
Shannon_O, Sep 2020
An amazing day we would recommend it to anyone, a must do on your bucket list, informative fun great crew, we will be back. 😊
Gavin, Aug 2020
An amazing experience, saw lots of whales and got to swim while they were around the boat.
Great crew, very friendly and knowledgeable although dad jokes need work 🤣
Thoroughly recommend this company as the passenger numbers are kept low to give you a much better experience. 10/10. Thanks for a fabulous day.
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