Choose the WA coast and season to match the whales you want to see. Humpbacks migrate along the coast from about May to December. Southern right whales visit the south coast, and blue whales feed in the Perth Canyon in autumn. Orca-watching trips leave Bremer Bay in summer. These are typical seasonal windows, and sightings or tour departures remain uncertain.
During migration, lookouts near Augusta and Cape Naturaliste, as well as Albany, offer shore-based viewing. Whales pass the Perth coast and Rottnest Island in spring, but there are fewer established shore-viewing spots around Perth.
Whale-watching seasons in WA
Tourism Western Australia describes the broad migration pattern, while the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) provides wildlife and park guidance. The seasons below are regional estimates: local conditions and operator schedules vary.
| Region | Typical viewing period | Species to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Perth Canyon | Autumn, broadly March to May | Blue whales, which feed in the canyon |
| Perth coast and Rottnest Island | Spring, chiefly September to November; some guidance extends to December | Humpback whales |
| Augusta and Cape Leeuwin | May to August | Humpback and southern right whales |
| Busselton, Dunsborough and Geographe Bay | September to early December | Mainly humpback whales |
| Albany and King George Sound | June to October for tours; shore-based viewing is described more broadly as May to November | Humpback and southern right whales |
| Bremer Bay | January to April | Orca, the focus of local wildlife tours |
Humpbacks travel north along the coast from autumn and return south later in the year. Humpbacks pass the south-west coast during migration, while southern right whales are a regular presence farther south. The Perth Canyon’s blue-whale season is in autumn, while Bremer Bay’s orca season is in summer.
Tourism WA gives Busselton and Dunsborough tours a September-to-early-December window. A local operator lists a different season for its own departures, so tour calendars show each business’s schedule and may not match whale migration dates.
Whale watching near Perth
For a boat trip, Tourism WA lists departures from Fremantle and Hillarys, with Perth coast and Rottnest Island viewing associated chiefly with the spring humpback migration. Blue-whale trips into the Perth Canyon are a separate autumn option. Parks Australia describes the canyon as a blue-whale feeding area.
Land-based viewing around Perth is less clearly established. The Town of Mosman Park reported whales and calves near Leighton and Mosman beaches on 2 September 2025. Those beaches are reasonable places to watch the coast during migration, but that dated sighting does not make them designated or reliable whale-watching lookouts.
Where to watch in the south-west
Tourism WA names Surfer’s Point, Cape Leeuwin, the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and lookouts along the Cape to Cape Track as places to watch from shore during migration. Augusta, Busselton and Dunsborough are useful bases for exploring these parts of the coast. The guidance does not rank the locations by sighting likelihood, so choose based on your route and access to the coast.
Albany offers several options around King George Sound. Tourism WA identifies the Ellen Cove Boardwalk and Ocean Drive lookouts; its Rotary Lookout listing describes an elevated view over the sound and a May-to-November whale-watching period. At Point Ann, DBCA identifies purpose-built viewing platforms at Point Ann, where southern right whales are seen in the bay during the season, generally from June to the end of October.
Boat trips and shore viewing
Shore viewing avoids a boat journey but depends on whales passing within view of land. A lookout gives you time to scan the water, but no named public spot guarantees an encounter. Boat tours offer access to offshore areas, including the Perth Canyon, and operators publish their own dates for departures.
Those dates can be narrower than a region’s broader migration season. For example, Albany Whale Tours lists its main migration cruises from June to early October, with a separate 2026 shoulder-season product dated 26 September to 11 October. The operator says shoulder-season sightings are less predictable. Weather and whale activity affect whether a particular departure runs, and bookings do too.
Watching whales responsibly
In Western Australian State waters, DBCA’s whale-watching guidance sets a 100-metre vessel approach limit and a 300-metre contact zone. Vessels must not block a whale’s path or approach from directly in front or behind. People must not swim with whales. They must not feed or touch them; if a whale approaches someone in the water, DBCA guidance says to keep at least 100 metres away.
DBCA also describes a licensed in-water humpback interaction program limited to Ningaloo Marine Park and the Muiron Islands Marine Management Area. It does not permit recreational swimmers to approach whales elsewhere. Offshore trips can enter Commonwealth waters, where different guidance applies, so follow the applicable rules and the licensed operator’s instructions.