Wanderer Adventures · Tidal River, Wilsons Prom
A 2.5-hour whale watching cruise from Tidal River, searching the Prom's coast for humpbacks and southern right whales. Pick it for the short run to the whales: it starts inside the park, with no long trip out to open water first.
You meet at the Tidal River Open Air Cinema, 1 Melbourne Road, inside the park, and spend 2.5 hours at sea. The target is the whales that migrate along the Prom: humpbacks, southern right whales and, now and then, orcas. Fur seals and dolphins fill the gaps. The crew changes the route on the day to wherever the whales are, so there is no fixed list of stops. Visit Gippsland names Wanderer Adventures as the company running the Tidal River cruises, and says the route can take in the Kanowna Island fur seal colony, South Point and the lighthouse if time permits.
Timing matters more than on any other trip here. The listing says the cruise runs in the cooler months; Visit Gippsland gives the season as May to October, with the peak from June to September, and says whales turned up on 90% of cruises in previous seasons. Booking in November means planning for next winter. For the Prom's coast right now, the daily wilderness cruise leaves from the same corner of Tidal River, and the Port Welshpool whale cruise runs until early November.
As with every boat at the Prom, you need to get to Tidal River first: about three hours from Melbourne per Parks Victoria, then 30 km inside the park. A night in Tidal River makes it easy. The fare covers a waterproof, windproof jacket, live commentary and ginger tablets for motion sickness. The listing says it does not suit wheelchair users, and touching marine life is not allowed. It is a newer listing with seven reviews so far, all five stars.
Head to the Tidal River Open Air Cinema on Melbourne Road. Bring a camera, binoculars and sunscreen even on a grey day.
Collect a windproof jacket and take a ginger tablet if you get queasy. The guide briefs you on what to look for.
The skipper follows the sightings, so the route changes every trip. A blow on the horizon, then a back, then maybe a tail.
When time allows, the boat passes granite islands and the fur seals hauled out on them.
You land back at Tidal River with the afternoon still free for a walk to Squeaky Beach or the climb up Mount Oberon.
★★★★★The experience was amazing!!! Deb and Damo are the best guides you could ask for making the trip full of great factual knowledge of the sea life and the whales .
★★★★★It was too good to even put into words. Definitely a core memory for my 8 year old. I had to reschedule at a very last minute as my daughter was under the weather, and it was handle promptly by the provider.
Read next:
Visit Gippsland gives the Tidal River whale cruise season as May to October, peaking from June to September. Humpbacks and southern right whales migrate past the Prom in winter and spring.
From the Tidal River Open Air Cinema, 1 Melbourne Road, Tidal River, inside Wilsons Promontory National Park. You need your own way there; it is about three hours from Melbourne.
No wild sighting is guaranteed. Visit Gippsland reports whales on 90% of cruises in previous seasons, and the crew changes the route each day to follow them.
A camera, binoculars, sunscreen and warm, weather-proof clothes. The windproof jacket and ginger tablets for seasickness are supplied.
Ready to book
A 2.5-hour whale cruise from Tidal River with a live guide and jackets supplied, in the cooler months.
Whale Spotting Cruise with LunchSix hours from Port Welshpool down the Prom's east coast: humpbacks, seals and albatrosses, lunch on board, 90% whale record.★ 4.8 · 6 hours · from $175
Wilsons Prom Wilderness CruiseAmphibious boat from Tidal River to South Point, the offshore islands and Skull Rock. Fur seals, dolphins, whales in season.★ 4.8 · 2.5 hours · from $120
Full-Day Cruise with Refuge CoveA whole day on the water from Port Welshpool: Skull Rock, the lighthouse, seals, and two hours ashore at Refuge Cove.★ 4.8 · 8 hours · from $360