With the bay offering natural shelter for mothers and calves during their migration, Jervis Bay has great whale-watching opportunities. Spot them in the wild from lookouts, on cruises, and during snorkelling and diving tours.
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When can you see whales in Jervis Bay?
There’s nothing quite like that first moment you spot a whale breaching and blowing offshore, showing off in a whirlwind of acrobatic twirls. And the Shoalhaven region on the NSW South Coast is among the best spots to maximise your chances of glimpsing the gentle giants turn it on, in the wild - whether you’re cruising with an ethical operator or taking in the spectacle from a rugged clifftop.
Between May and November, migratory species, including more than 30,000 whales, make their way to and from Antarctica. The route is aptly known as the ‘Humpback Highway’ (although you’ll also spot southern rights, minkes and pilots), and the total route spans more than 5,000km, among the world’s longest journeys undertaken by a mammal. Jervis Bay marks the halfway point along this epic trail.
Jervis Bay Wild, Huskisson- Credit: Bert Payne
The whales use the calm waters of Jervis Bay Marine Park as a place to rest and play with their newborn calves. Dolphins, turtles, seals and other marine life also call these waters home and are particularly active when the whales come to visit. If you’re lucky, you might even spot orcas.
Whale watching, Jervis Bay - Credit: Jordan Robins
Land-based lookouts
From Shoalhaven Heads in the north to Bawley Point in the south, you’ll find spectacular headlands that offer great whale-watching. Thanks to their locations and purpose, lighthouses often provide wonderful views. Point Perpendicular Lighthouse, at the northern entrance to Jervis Bay along the cliffs of the Beecroft Peninsula, offers sweeping views of Jervis Bay, where female whales and calves often play in the crystal-clear waters. Meanwhile, on the southern edge of the bay in Booderee National Park is Cape St George Lighthouse. There are great clifftop walks all through the national park, offering unbroken ocean views.
Another lighthouse lookout is Crookhaven Heads Lighthouse at Culburra Beach, and nearby Penguin Head and Hammerhead Point, a short drive south near the seaside village of Currarong, are equally jaw-dropping vantage points.
There are endless other headlands to gaze over the waves as you make your way further south, including Warden Head Lighthouse in Ulladulla and Bannisters Head in neighbouring Mollymook. You might even spot a whale breaching while playing a round of golf at Mollymook Golf Club.
Jervis Bay Sea Sports, Jervis Bay
Whale-watching tours and cruises
There are strict rules about how close you can get to whales in the wild. Thankfully, cruise operators in the Jervis Bay and Shoalhaven region provide ethical tourism experiences. Join Jervis Bay Wild and Dolphin Watch Cruises, which depart from Huskisson, to learn about whales and their calves from knowledgeable guides before seeing them in their natural habitat.
On a cruise, you’re also likely to see some of the resident seals that call Jervis Bay Marine Park home, with sightings peaking during winter. Keep an eye out for Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins chasing schools of fish and socialising in pods.
Dolphin Watch Cruises, Huskisson
Swim with whales and other marine wildlife
Join a snorkelling, scuba diving or freediving tour with Jervis Bay Sea Sports (also known as Dive Jervis Bay) and Woebegone Freedive to swim with whales (at a respectful distance). While whales migrate through Jervis Bay, many other marine creatures call it home year-round. Snorkellers and divers may also encounter more than 220 species of fish, seals, dolphins, as well as weedy sea dragons and stingrays.
For more information about whale-watching on the NSW South Coast, visit the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website.
Jervis Bay Sea Sports, Jervis Bay - Credit: Jordan Robins
Accommodation with ocean views
There are plenty of places in Jervis Bay with water views. Enveloped by the rainforest of Booderee National Park, The Cove Jervis Bay is a little pocket of paradise. Choose between glamping tents, cabins and houses. All are just a short stroll to a private beach.
Bannisters has several accommodation options in Mollymook, including Bannisters by the Sea, Bannisters Pavilion and Rick’s Beach House. All come with views of the ocean, some even from a pool.
Then there’s adults-only Hyams Beach Seaside Cottages, seven cottages lovingly transformed with pastel exteriors. Pull up a chair on your private deck, open a bottle of something bubbly and enjoy bush and ocean views.
Bannisters by the Sea, Mollymook Beach
