Whale Watching: Sydney, Australia

On our second day in Sydney, we headed down to Darling Harbour's King Street Wharf to set off on an adventure several months in the making: whale watching! When we were planning our honeymoon, I happened to spot a voucher on Groupon that gave us 50% off the ticket price with Go Whale Watching. Obviously, that was a bit of a risk because you can't choose your day based on the best weather but we thought the deal was worth it and we're so glad we took the plunge! Instead of buying it on Groupon though, we hopped over to their website and found they were offering the same deal so we were happy to book direct. In actual fact, this activity was over a year in the making as we had gone whale watching in Santa Barbara but unfortunately only saw dolphins and seals (read about our experience here). That made us determined to finally get a chance to see these incredible beasts so when we realised Sydney is a perfect spot in October - we had to do it.

It was a pretty overcast day when we arrived at the harbour and it even started to drizzle lightly as we waited for our 10:30 departure. We had worn our raincoats but it actually passed pretty quickly and we were then able to wander around the docks checking out the other boats. Darling Harbour is a really lovely area with lots of restaurants and activities - it does seem quite touristy but further down it turns into Barangaroo Wharf, which felt a bit more like somewhere Sydneysiders (rather than just tourists) would go. We knew we had to come back to check out some of the great restaurants so we put it on our list for later in the week.

The process for boarding the ship was super easy and we settled in on one of the outdoor benches at the front so that we could have a clear view as we made our way through the harbour. One of the unexpected bonuses was that we essentially got a water tour of the city's landmarks as the captain gave commentary along the way. We slipped under the famous harbour bridge and then past the iconic opera house - really a lovely way to see them!

After that, it was straight out through the headlands to the Pacific Ocean. It was a little choppy as we picked up speed and we ended up getting splashed quite a bit! So our top tip for this activity would be to expect to get wet if you're sitting at the front of the boat. It wasn't too bad and we still had our raincoats on so we were fine. Plus, by the time we arrived back at the dock, we were perfectly dry. Once out on the ocean, we weren't having much luck at spotting whales at first so we feared we might be suffering a repeat of our Santa Barbara trip. To be fair, whales are wild animals and they don't keep a schedule to impress tourists so we couldn't be too upset.

It was a very overwhelming experience - you're trying to look every direction at once to find some sign of the whales like a puff of spray, a splash... anything. It really felt like we were all working together as we searched the horizon. And then suddenly, there it was! An unmistakeable shape moving through the water and our captain steered us in for a closer look (while still maintaining a respectful distance of course). It. Was. Magical. These were humpback whales which head north during June and July to breed in warmer waters before starting completing their return journey with their calves in October and November.

Seeing such an incredible creature up close in its natural environment was just unbelievable. This was a calf traveling with its mother down the coast of Australia. The mother stayed mostly out of sight as it only broke the surface slightly to breathe while the calf jumped and splashed around her. It was so sweet to see it playing like that. After a while, it seemed like the mother told it to knock it off and they headed on their way - good to know mothers across the animal kingdom have similar patience levels!

After that, we headed back into the harbour and weaved our way through the sailboats and ferries to our dock. The weather had started to look a bit more ominous so we were happy to be back on dry land and ready for some lunch! Getting to the harbour was super easy but we still recommend giving yourself plenty of time as once you arrive at Darling Harbour you then have to make your way to the right dock, which might take some detective work.

If you're in Sydney, there are a couple of companies to choose from for a whale watching adventure and we honestly chose Go Whale Watching purely because of the voucher we found. However, having been out with them, we would definitely recommend them for future visitors. We also recommend checking sites like Groupon as it can give you a sense of when sales might be on but, if possible, always try and book direct as it can be easier to sort out any issues or even move your booking if the weather is too rough.

This website offers some great information for planning your whale watching visit. Definitely don't miss this fantastic opportunity to see incredible beasts in such a glorious setting!

Details:

Website: https://gowhalewatchingsydney.com.au

Timings: 10:30am or 1:30pm for the Express Whale Watch trip (2 hours and 45 minutes)

Prices: $78 per person on the weekend, or $74 per person on a weekday