UNCOMPASSIONATE, UNCARING, UNCARING FAMILY BUSINESS!!! DO NOT trust their 5-star reviews – zero compassion when you have a real emergency!

We are from Melbourne and booked a tour last year with Whale Tales Whale Watching Sydney.

Unfortunately, our 81-year-old dad fell in the bathroom and was hospitalised. Due to this emergency, we had to fly back to Melbourne urgently and could not participate in the tour.

I sent them an email asking for a voucher. They never bothered to even respond.

When whale season came back, I sent a follow-up email. Someone named Katie replied saying they were overseas and would sort it out when they returned. Weeks passed. Nothing.

I followed up again. And Katie's response?
"I’m happy to offer you standby seats on any trip that isn’t sold out."

STANDBY SEATS! WTH!!!

Let that sink in. An 81-year-old man fell. He was hospitalised. We provided proof of our emergency flights back to Melbourne. This was not a whim. This was not a "we don't feel like going" cancellation. This was a family crisis.

And their response is standby? We would have to fly from Melbourne to Sydney with no guaranteed seats. No refund. No transfer. No empathy. Just cold, uncaring fine-print behaviour.

This shows you exactly who they are. UNCOMPASSIONATE, UNHELPFUL, UNCARING!

So here's my warning to anyone reading this: Imagine YOU have an emergency during one of their tours. Imagine someone gets hurt. Do you really think they will help you? Or will they find every excuse to avoid responsibility, deny claims, and refuse refunds?

I have no idea how they have 500+ five-star reviews. This is the reality of how they treat customers when something goes wrong.

Read this. Then decide if you want to support a company with a heart of stone.

@mindourlanguagetravelgroup

Family whale watching We absolutely loved the whale watching tour! This was my children's first time whale watching and it was worth every penny.

Comfortable and professional Alex and Dan really clearly love their job and were intent on showing us a great day and views of the whales. Even if there is little whale action it is a great trip out there harbour past the landmarks and they take all the photos for free so you can just be in the moment.

A must when in Sydney What a wonderful experience! We were able to see and follow a mother and her baby along the coast. The sights of the Sydney Harbour were fantastic too. The boat was the perfect size so you could easily move around the boat without it being too crammed with people. The staff were fantastic and very knowledgeable! Highly recommend!

Bucket list item fulfilled! What a fantastic experience this was! We thought that we would only see these majestic humpback whales from far away, but Isaac did a great job piloting the boat within 100-200 meters of them. Doing this takes an enormous amount of precision, while making sure not to get too close, as that would disturb the whales.

The ocean conditions were choppy, so getting that perfect photo was challenging, but very possible.

If you have issues with sea sickness, the crew helps as much as possible, providing some useful tips and sea sickness bags if needed. Don’t let that prevent you from going though. The conditions aren’t always harsh.

If whale watching is on your bucket list, Whale Tales does a fantastic job to help you fulfill that dream.

Fantastic Sensational. From the off it was a special trip. The crew are knowledgeable and delightful. The weather wasn't great but that didn't matter cause once you saw the first whale and followed these incredible creatures, always keeping a respectful distance, you felt the awesomeness of natures at its most powerful .beautiful . I loved every second of it. Brilliant

A dream come true 💋 A dream come true! We chose the mid day sailing. Fabulous Skipper Ben with Freddie ( I think) as perfect hosts. It was a birthday treat and my goodness was it a day to remember. Fabulous marine knowledge shared. We watched two male escorts protecting a female and her calf. Just beautiful. The sound of the slapping fins as they hit the water! I will remember this trip for ever. The oohs and aaahs from our boat and other boats made it special. To share such wonderment with others is priceless. We met some lovely people on board. Three ladies in a boat . an Engineer, Dentist & Heart foundation.

Thank you Sydney Whales Tales ❤️

Unforgettable moment!!! Amazing tour, saw a few bunches of whales!! The Skipper and the crew were so professional and full of whales’ knowledge!! Learnt a lot abt the whales!! Also take good care of us when others have sea sick. So definitely a 5stars experience!!!!!

From NC, USA to Australia Sept 2025 Had a great time with Whale Tales. The crew were fun and lively. Sophia (hope I got that right) provided commentary and whale education. Most importantly, we saw a whale and several dolphins. Wonderful trip!

Great Experience Really friendly team. Answered all of our (many!) whale related questions. They also gave interesting info about the whales. We saw a few whales during the trip - perhaps less than usual because of the weather (this is my 6th or 7th whale watching tour in my life so I have a few to compare to!) but it didn’t matter as we got very close and saw them really really well. The crew were also incredibly respectful of the whales and if you prioritise a tour that prioritises animal welfare - this company is a great choice.

We had to reschedule due to adverse weather when we initially booked - their team were really proactive giving us plenty of notice to change our dates which allowed us to have an enjoyable experience another day.

such a beautiful experience This was the BEST whale tour I have ever done, and the guides were incredible, can not rave about it enough, if you get the chance just GO!

Loved my time with Whale Tales I was in Sydney for a week for the marathon and realized right before I left that it was whale season. I did a lot of research on what operator to use. My requirements were that they were respectful of the whales, had a small # of passengers, and that they had good reviews.

Whale Tales checked all of those boxes! Rob was the skipper, Alex the photographer, and Mette was the guide. I learned tons of things about whales from Mette and couldn't contain my excitement every time one would surface. I didn't bring my high end camera with me on my trip and made a point to not have my phone out so that I could experience it fully and rely on Alex's photos later. I'm glad I did it like that. The whale that visited the boat (remember that they don't chase the whales but let the whales come to see them) was so close that I could hear it blow air out every time it came to the surface.

Mette's care for animals was evident and I utilized this to get a good recommendation on whether there was a zoo in Sydney that was conscientious. She recommended Taronga and I wasn't disappointed. Actually she made several great recommendations but I ran out of time!

A few days later I spoke to someone who did a whale watching tour. She couldn't remember who the company was (obviously not Whale Tales) but said it was a large boat and they served breakfast and she felt like the tour guide was doing it all very half-hearted. I recommended to her to pick Whale Tales if she had time after the race, and also recommended them to another random person I met. Thank you for such a great experience!

Best Whale Sighting Cruise in SYDNEY I can’t say enough about how fantastic our Whale Tales Cruise was! Rex and Meta are the best skipper and guide to see the beautiful whales! Very enjoyable for all ages. We saw whales breaching and swimming right up to our boat. True professionals who understand and respect our ocean friends. Book this tour!

Fantastic day out with a great crew! This is the second time that we have gone with Sea Monkey on Boxing Day for the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, and it was a winner again!
As the boat is small there were only around 20 other people which made the whole experience relaxed and personal.
After a relaxing swim in the harbour and lunch, the crew were able to get the boat right up close to the starting line which added to the excitement.
I would highly recommend this company for its fun and professional attitude to providing a great customer experience.

Must do this ! Wharf area easy to locate. Prompt departure under the Bridge and past Opera House. Smallish group (about 16) so enough room to move around. We saw nothing until the last 20 minutes when whales appeared. We moved closer for better view and they were quite close to the boat. Waterproof clothes definitely needed as the spray (when side-curtains were open so we could see) will get you. Also try to use a toilet before you board - there is a toilet but in a rough swell its easy to be thrown about. If we hadnt seen anything they wouldve given a later free trip as compensation. Crew v sociable and knowlegeable with lots of interesting info given. Well worth it !

Experience of a lifetime! We had an amazing experience today watching the whales. We saw so many, and we even saw 2 breach beside our boat. We loved that there was a professional photographer onboard with us, and also a marine biologist who did a beautiful job of telling us so many wonderful facts about the whales as we waited. The boat captain and his wife were delightful as well.It was a perfect Sydney experience for two Texans! Thank you so much! We loved it!

Wonderful Whales A wonderful morning out on the water with Whale Tales looking for whales. The boat was a good size and comfortable, the crew were helpful and informative. You may get a bit of spray from the water but not much and not for long, waterproof jacket helps with that. Booking and organising the tour was easy and very helpful when I wanted to add a person to our group which I appreciated! The whales were pretty close to us which was amazing. I would definitely do it again, thanks Whale Tales!

Fabulous!! Thanks to the knowledgeable guide and the team, saw a lot of whales with their babies! Highly recommend this! Thank you!

A must-do trip with the best experts! The trip was incredible, and the company is amazing. They kept me informed about weather conditions and were flexible about re-booking for another date. The crew was super knowledgeable and friendly! Alex really knows her stuff. And of course - we saw so many whales, we had three separate encounters and the trip was just perfect!