Some great land-based whale watching spots include North Head, Long Reef, Vaucluse, and Cape Solander. To get a close-up view of the whales, you'll need to head out on a boat. This tour ventures anywhere from 1km to 20km offshore, depending on the migratory route of the whales at that point of the season.

With Ocean Extreme's high-speed vessels, we can get you to and from the whales faster than any other boat, so these tours don't take as long. When departing from Circular Quay, the tour can last about 2 hours.

From mid-May to late November, you can watch whales migrating along the Sydney coastline. Dolphins are common around the coast of Sydney and can be spotted any time of the year, as well as seals, who are here nearly all year round.

You don't have to worry about getting wet on most days, unless it's windy, but The Operator provides spray jackets to keep you dry. In the winter months, it can get chilly out at sea, so dress in layers under the jacket to stay warm. Be sure to wear a beanie and gloves on colder days.

Whether you're watching the whales from the shore or at sea, you must wear sunglasses and sunscreen to protect your eyes and skin from the sun. And don't forget your camera! But if you prefer, The Operator can take photos for you.

Whale watching can be harmful to whales if the boat skipper is irresponsible or doesn't follow the correct rules for driving around whales. However, The Operator have been operating tours for over 14 years and always take the utmost care. They are required to keep their distance from the whales (100m), and it is up to the whales to decide if they want to approach the boat. Humpback whales are naturally curious and often approach us, but The Operator cannot force this interaction.

Humpback Whales are the most common whales spotted off the coast of Sydney and generally in New South Wales. Occasionally, you may spot minke whales, southern right whales, pilot whales, killer whales, and even blue whales, like the one spotted in 2015.