Epic whale watching at its finest. Tour operators answered my call the night before, after normal business hours and happily reserved us two spots for the next afternoon. Fairly inexpensive at $50 per person, and comparable to other tours. At least 90 minutes in the boat, most of which time we were constantly viewing whales. Most of the seats were booked out so I recommend at least one nights advanced planning.
They offer the most modern, fastest boat with all the bells and whistles, but no bathroom. Use the public toilets in the nearby park before departure. The ride takes you out quickly and they have a spotter in constant communication to keep them advised of the areas best for whale activity. You're guaranteed whale sightings, too. I felt like we hit the whale jackpot, as almost as soon as we got to stationary position off the coast a humpback engaged in repeated tail smacking behavior and another turned on its side and appeared to wave at us with one flipper.
We were up front and got an exciting speed ride both in and out from the dock. The captain, Andrew, is also knowledgeable about whales and provides a light, amusing, unobtrusive commentary throughout the journey. The boat even had a high quality sound system which allows a bombastic return ride with a few classic jams, but I won't spoil the surprise...
Port Macquarie is an excellent spot from which to view whales, and this is the company with the boat to do it in and the captain to do it with. read more
