Whale watching in Sydney

Whale hello there!

Okay that might be a corny pun, but if you love whales as much as we do, hopefully you got a little bit of a chuckle out of that! Because here in Sydney you can participate in a truly unique whale watching expedition. The good news is that whale watching cruises are just a short distance away from The Macleay Hotel, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost on the way.

Just picture this 

You step aboard a large ship and mingle with people like yourself who are equally excited to spot a berthing whale. As the boat takes off from the dock, you look behind you and take in the iconic Sydney Harbour – the bridge and the Opera House start to shrink in the distance and you start to smell the salt of the ocean, the fresh breeze in your hair. Next to you is a pod of playful dolphins who want to see what your boat is up to. And finally, just beyond the bow, you see a massive whale popping out of the water, one flipper in the air as if to say, whale hello!

Where else in the world are you going to get an experience like that? Nowhere!

Come check out Sydney’s playful whales.

Whales in Sydney

So, what types of whales will you be seeing on this trip? Well, there are 45 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises that live in these Australian waters, but the most popular is the humpback whale! This species is one of the biggest out there – an adult can get up to about 13 metres and 36,000 kilograms! Their bumpy grey heads are unmistakable when they protrude from the waves – just be sure to keep your eyes peeled, you won’t want to miss this.

Whale tales: Willy the Whale

Back in 1995, a whale nicknamed Willy was playing with a group of dolphins when he followed them up the Manning River near Taree in Northern NSW. However, not being as agile as the rest of the dolphins, he got stuck in the river when he couldn’t find his way back to the ocean. He roamed those waters for the next 101 days, delighting residents and scaring some boaters. For weeks, there were attempts to help him return to the ocean, but he always evaded nets and was too smart to be scared by killer whale calls.

He was eventually rescued and returned to the sea, but his tale has never been forgotten!

Feeling a little tuckered out after all the excitement? We get it! Just come on back to your suite at The Macleay Hotel, plop into bed and dream some sweet whale dreams.