Gold Coast Whale Watching: Close Encounters Guaranteed

Experience thrilling whale watching with Sea World Cruises. Witness majestic whales up close and enjoy live underwater footage. 100% Whale Sighting Guarantee.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Sea World Whale Watch - Experience the thrill of being in the presence of majestic humpback whales in their natural habitat on this 2.5hr whale watching cruise! Departing from the Sea World Cruise Terminal in Main Beach, soak up the iconic views of the Gold Coast as you embark on a whale-watching cruise aboard our luxurious purpose-built vessel, the ‘Spirit of Migaloo II’.
What's Included
  • Complimentary parking
  • Purpose-built luxury whale watching vessel
  • Look for dolphins, sea turtles, sea birds and more
  • Onboard hydrophones and underwater cameras (subject to daily conditions)
  • 100% Whale Sighting Guarantee
  • Expert commentary from experienced captains and marine naturalist guides
  • Up to 2.5 hour Whale Watching Cruise
What's Not Included
  • Food and beverages
  • Hotel transfers
  • Photos. Available for purchase on the day of the cruise
Additional Information

Enjoy more time with the humpback whales as Sea World Whale Watch is conveniently the nearest operator on the Gold Coast to the Humpback Highway! Witness the awe-inspiring exhibits of whales gracefully leaping out of the water, smacking their colossal flukes on the sea surface, and plunging deep into the underwater world. Expect a unique experience as…

Location
Sea World Whale Watch
Seaworld Drive
Cruises depart from the Sea World Cruises Terminal (Main Beach). Entry to Sea World Marine Park is not required. Free car parking is available.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(315 Ratings)
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D1466dcjanetr
Nov 6, 2025
Dream come true - I can’t say enough about our experience. It was a dream come true. Captain Wayne and crew did a fantastic job of finding the whales. Captain Wayne had a great knowledge and answered all questions with enthusiasm. I really believe he enjoyed the experience just as much as we did. A trip of a life time
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mamta_c
Oct 30, 2025
Exceptional, Professional - It was an amazing experience. It was quite a dull day, but everyone at Sea World cruises tried for over 3 hrs. to give us the experience. Ultimately we experienced one of the best viewing of a bunch of whales. Thanks a lot for the experience
Review provided by Viator
Deant1172
Oct 27, 2025
Whale watching success - We started out cruising north along Stradbroke Island but had no luck other than a pod of dolphins, we headed south and were off Surfers Paradise when we spotted a Humpback mother and calf. The calf was very playful, coming super close to the boat, an amazing experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ian
Oct 24, 2025
Amazing treat to see beautiful mammals. - Great start with very friendly staff, safty was covered and noted, went out to see a mum a baby hump back whales, amazing to see this in Nature, and a first time for this family of 4. Really enjoyed and was looked after very well and informative running commentary, would recommend everyone trying this, and we will love to come back and do again earlier in the year.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G1371mtjennym
Oct 23, 2025
Fabulous trip - An excellent trip, our Captain Wayne and his crew were brilliant, Captain Wayne had lots of knowledge about the whales. We upgraded on arrival for the VIP tickets which were really good and worth paying the extra for. We saw several whales ,which was amazing, the whole trip along the Gold Coast was fantastic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Db40melbourne
Oct 22, 2025
Whales up close - Amazing experience, highly recommend. I've never seen whales up close before and I was not disappointed. We saw at least 30 whales who were extremely active. Lots of breaching and fin slapping! It was an absolute highlight of my trip to the Gold Coast.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michael
Oct 21, 2025
Whale watching 1st time - Good experience. However, l would have loved to see some whales jumped high out of the water. But that's nature. You can't have everything you wish.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lindajwil
Oct 21, 2025
A Nice Day on the Water - Our trip out yesterday was very pleasant. We were a little disappointed by the inactivity of the whales we encountered but we did see 3 small pods clearly from the boat. My hopes are always high when I go on whale watching tours but of course we are there in their environment and take what you get. The boat, crew and Captain were great. We did take the option for the Captain’s Lounge Seating which was an extra $30. Not sure if I think thats value but it was very pleasant. I have been on a few whale watch tours now and one of the best pluses this one has is such easy close access out and in on the boat to view them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brookewj4797ly
Nov 3, 2025
following whales and waste - we saw one mum and baby, whilst I did love seeing them - I didn’t think following them around everytime they moved away / driving that close to them was aloud. I also thought turning the boat off was a thing. I thought it would more so be on the whales terms to come near us if they wanted rather than us chase them around I also don’t get why a company like SeaWorld that advocates for less waste / sustainability etc would print out everyone’s photos prior to asking people if they’re wanting to buy them.. over half of the people didn’t buy their photos - it’s not like anyone else can buy photos of other people meaning they’d be going straight into the bin
Review provided by Tripadvisor
726amanda
Nov 14, 2025
Dishonest and expensive - Not honest about the possibility to see whales. Had three days of touring without whales, and all we godt back was a return ticket to next year… and they are flashing 100% possibility. Dishonest and expensive.
Review provided by Tripadvisor