Hervey Bay: Whale Watching Cruise with 5 Decks & Local Crew

4.87

(359 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I’ll be honest, I signed up for this Hervey Bay whale watching cruise mostly out of curiosity — I’d heard stories about the whales here but didn’t really know what to expect. The morning felt quiet when we boarded Quick Cat II, just a soft breeze and that salty smell clinging to everything. Our guide, Dave (who everyone seemed to know), grinned and handed out coffee. “You’ll want to keep your eyes open,” he said, “sometimes they surprise you.” He was right.

The boat itself is kind of its own character — five decks, so you never feel boxed in. I ended up on the lower deck at first, toes almost touching the water. There’s something about being that close — when a humpback surfaced nearby, all I could do was laugh. It’s louder than I thought; the sound is like someone exhaling through a trumpet underwater. Dave explained how these whales come to Platypus Bay every year to rest and play before heading south again. He pointed out K’Gari (Fraser Island) shimmering in the distance, and a kid next to me tried counting dolphins but lost track after six.

We had tea and fruit on board (breakfast if you go early), nothing fancy but it hit the spot after standing in the wind. At one point I tried pronouncing “K’Gari” properly — Li from the crew laughed and gave me a thumbs-up anyway. There were families, older couples, even someone with a stroller; nobody seemed rushed or left out. The whales came closer than I expected — one calf rolled over and slapped its fin on the surface like it was showing off just for us. That moment stuck with me longer than I thought it would.