Whale season at the Prom

When is whale season at Wilsons Promontory?

From May to November. Visit Gippsland says humpback and southern right whales can be spotted from Gippsland vantage points between May and November, and the Prom is one of the best stretches of coast for it.

Spring is the humpbacks' season here. The South Gippsland Sentinel-Times describes the Prom as a waypoint for humpbacks heading south from their Queensland breeding grounds, many travelling with calves, and that is when the Port Welshpool cruise goes out. Parks Victoria's own line for the park is that you can see humpback and southern right whales “make their annual pilgrimage”.

You do not need a boat to try. Visit Gippsland lists Glennie Lookout and Pillar Point inside the park, and plenty of lookouts along the rest of the coast. A calm morning, binoculars and patience do most of the work.

Is there anything left of whale season in November 2026?

A little. November is the end of the window on Visit Gippsland's calendar, and the spring cruise season from Port Welshpool winds down early in the month.

In 2025 the South Gippsland Sentinel-Times reported that the Prom whale cruise ran until 2 November. We have no fixed end date for 2026, so open the whale cruise page and check which dates are still on sale. If your date has gone, try the shore: Visit Gippsland's window runs through November, so the lookouts are still worth an hour.

November has its own wildlife bonus at sea. Parks Victoria says Australian fur seals pup on Kanowna Island, off the Prom, in November and December, and the full-day Prom cruise passes the colony on its way to Skull Rock and Refuge Cove.

What is the whale cruise from Port Welshpool like?

Six hours on a boat with up to 20 guests, out of Port Welshpool and along the Prom's east coast past Rabbit Island, Sealers Cove and Refuge Cove, with the captain's commentary, morning tea and a homemade lunch.

You meet the boat at Wildlife Coast Cruises, 86 Lewis Street, Port Welshpool, and make your own way there, so it suits a road trip or a night in South Gippsland. Besides humpbacks and southern rights, the crew look for Australian fur seals, dolphins and shy albatrosses. The listing gives a 90% success rate for whale sightings. It is not suitable for children under 4 or wheelchair users, and if the cruise is cancelled for weather or low numbers you can move to another date or get a full refund.

Guests write about how close the whales come. Charlotte (Sep 2026): “One of the most amazing experiences of my life, I could not believe how close the whales came to the boat!” Christopher (Nov 2025): “[...] the whales entertained us for hours, getting right up close to the boat!” Linda (Sep 2026) put it this way: “nothing could really prepare you for the close proximity of the whales and what seemed their genuine curiosity [...]”

Six hours on the water with up to 20 guests, the captain's commentary, morning tea and a homemade lunch, in the whale season.

★ 4.8 · 6 hours · from $179

Explore the Wilsons Prom whale cruise → Tour details

What should you bring on a whale watching cruise?

Layers. Even on a sunny spring day it is colder on the water than on the jetty, and you will spend hours on deck.

The Bureau of Meteorology's station at the Prom lighthouse averages a top of 12.3°C in July and only 20.6°C in February, its warmest month. Guests who have done the cruise recommend a hat and gloves. Lunch, morning tea, tea and coffee are on board, per the listing.

A simple rule for the camera: keep it out and switched on. Whales give you a spout first, then a back, and a breach comes with no warning.

Can you see whales on the Cape Woolamai cruise?

Sometimes, in season. It is a 1-hour scenic cruise, not a whale cruise, but several guests from June to September 2026 wrote that whales showed up.

The Cape Woolamai cruise leaves San Remo Jetty in the morning, passes under the Phillip Island bridge and runs along the granite cliffs and caves of Cape Woolamai, with tea, coffee and cake. Sherry (Jun 2026): “Loved it we got to see 3 whales on the trip they put on an awesome display”. Judy (Sep 2026) had dolphins first, “and then the delight of seeing a whale rise up out of the ocean, twice!”

It is back around midday, in time for the pelican feeding at San Remo, which leaves the afternoon for the Seal Rocks cruise from Cowes and the Penguin Parade at sunset on Phillip Island, on Gippsland's western edge. Our Penguin Parade guide has the evening part.

How do you plan whale watching at the Prom for 2027?

Pick your month by the whale you want: May to August for southern rights close to shore, September to November for the humpbacks and the cruise from Port Welshpool.

For a May or June visit, plan on land. Base yourself at Tidal River or nearby, walk to Pillar Point, and stop at Glennie Lookout on the drive in. The Wilsons Prom day tour from Melbourne gives you lookouts, a hike and Squeaky Beach in one day, and a whale is a bonus on a clear day, never a promise. More on walks and when to go in our Wilsons Promontory guide.

For the cruise, look at September and October 2027 and book when dates open. Every option here has free cancellation up to 24 hours before, which is what you want when the forecast turns. For the rest of a coastal week, see things to do in Gippsland.

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