Townsville Whale Watching Cruise - 3 Hours
Highlights & inclusions
1. Select date
August 2026
2. Select participants
What you can expect
Discover the humpback whales of North Queensland on a three hour whale watching cruise departing Townsville or Magnetic Island, out across the sheltered waters of Cleveland Bay. As your experienced crew searches the known migration routes, you will watch for humpbacks breaching, tail slapping and rolling at the surface, with dolphins, turtles and seabirds often appearing alongside the boat.
Informative commentary brings the whales to life as you learn about their migration patterns, behaviour and the marine environment they travel through. Settle in with morning or afternoon tea and soak up the scenery of one of North Queensland's most beautiful stretches of coast. The itinerary stays flexible, shaped around the safest conditions on the day, so every trip is a little different. Some days are calm and glassy, others lively and full of spray, all part of the adventure on the water. Perfect for wildlife lovers and families alike, this is a relaxed way to see humpbacks in the wild.
Location
What you need to know
- Three hour guided whale watching cruise
- Morning tea or afternoon tea
- Commentary from experienced crew
- Wildlife spotting opportunities
- Safety briefing and all essential safety equipment
- This experience is approximately three hours in duration.
- This experience departs from either 108 Flinders Street, Townsville City or Harbour Drive, Nelly Bay Marina, Nelly Bay QLD 4819, depending on the departure point selected at the time of booking.
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Water bottle
- Light jacket or jumper depending on the weather
- Comfortable footwear
- Camera or phone
- Infants under 12 months are not recommended for this experience due to the nature of the vessel and varying sea conditions
- Infants aged 0 to 23 months travel free of charge
- Child rates apply for ages 2 to 14 years and adult rates for ages 15 years and over
- Participants must understand English
- Participants should be comfortable on a vessel operating in open water conditions
- Children must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times
- Participants must advise the experience provider prior to departure of any relevant medical conditions, injuries, mobility concerns, pregnancy or other conditions that may affect participation
- A thorough safety briefing is provided by qualified crew prior to departure
- This is a dynamic open water experience and conditions may range from calm and scenic to lively, fast paced and wet depending on the weather and sea state
- Whale and marine wildlife sightings are common during migration season but cannot be guaranteed as these are wild animals
- The experience provider reserves the right to change the itinerary, departure points, route, timing or inclusions due to weather, tides, swell, whale activity, operational requirements or other conditions
- This experience operates seasonally during the annual humpback whale migration
- In extreme weather conditions the tour may be cancelled if safety is a concern, you will be contacted by the provider and rescheduled
- Change your booking up to 48 hours before the start time of your experience
- Changes are not permitted within 48 hours of your experience
- Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience
- Confirmation in the form of a tour voucher will be received at time of booking
- Upon completion of purchase, please print the voucher and present on day of the experience
- Mobile Vouchers are accepted! - Vouchers can also be presented on your mobile device for this attraction
- Availability was accurate at the time of booking however, is subject to change due to circumstances out of our control
- For your information, complete Tour Operator Information including contact details is included on your tour voucher
- We strongly suggest reconfirming your booking with the tour operator within 24 hours of making your booking and prior to making other travel arrangements
