Duration:
Operated By:
Select dates available December & January – Contact for Private Charter dates
Discover the tranquil waters of the Richmond River Nature Reserve around Ballina Island. Our River Cruises are the perfect combination of leisure with a hint of fast-paced excitement. Let us show you the sights, sounds, and wildlife that you cannot see from the shore. Our tours go through the mangrove forests, down the creeks, showcasing the richly diverse flora and fauna unique to this region along the way.
Learn about wildlife, local points of interest & history of the area from our Marine Biologist guide. Many rare birds and sea creatures such as dolphins can be spotted along the river, and for real nature lovers, it can be quite a thrill to see these animals in real life and up close.
Sit back and bask in a glorious sunset as you enjoy complimentary beverages, locally made sweet & savoury delights, chilled tunes & the sounds of nature.Beautiful sunset views are a treat from the boat, and for photography lovers, this makes for the prime opportunity to get some rare, beautiful shots to bring back with you.
Our trips cater to groups large and small and are perfect for children and adults. Whether you and a loved one are looking for an intimate evening out on the river, or you want to teach your kids more about Australian wildlife, our tours can cater to your group’s specific needs. Relaxing, exciting, and informative, our cruises will let you experience the natural landscape and the river like never before.
- 2 complimentary cold beverages and locally made sweet & savoury delights. Please bring your hat, sunnies, camera & your sense of adventure!
- Regular afternoon departures. Available from December until March.
- Minimum numbers apply (6)
- 48 hour Cancellation Policy.
- All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Location:
The vessel departs from Ballina at Lance Ferris Wharf, 12 Fawcett Street (directly in front of the Wharf Bar & Restaurant).
Please Note: The time of Sunset can change during the different months and when daylight savings is in affect. Please make sure you check any updates you may receive from us in regards to time changes.
IMPORTANT:
GIFT CARDS: ALL GIFT CARDS ARE OPEN-DATED. Gift certificates are non-refundable under any circumstance and cannot be exchanged for cash. If you redeem a Gift Card on a booking that gets cancelled by us due to weather or minimum numbers not met, your Gift Card is still not refundable, they are valid for 3yrs and can be used on another date or transferred to someone else to use. If you redeem a Gift Card on a booking that you decide to cancel or want to move with less than 48hrs notice, the Gift Card will no longer be valid for use on another day.
WHAT TO WEAR & BRING
· Jumper or Jacket · Sunglasses · Camera/Phone for photos · Sunscreen
HOW TO GET HERE
The boarding wharf is in Ballina, which is a 30 minute drive south of Byron Bay and a 15 minute drive from Lennox Head. If you do not have your own transport, please book a transfer through the Ballina Byron Airport Transfers website or call Tony on 0481553081. We board at Lance Ferris Wharf, 12 Fawcett St, Ballina. (In front of Wharf Bar and Restaurant)
PARKING
Cruise is 2hrs so choose parking accordingly. It is not paid parking in this area, only restricted by amount of hours. For an image of parking options and other boarding information, please CLICK HERE
TIMING
Important: Please arrive 20minutes prior to your departure time. A safety briefing will be done, any passenger not present for the briefing will forfeit their ticket and will not be able to join the cruise. The boat cannot wait for late passengers.
WEATHER & OCEAN DEPENDENT
Please keep in mind that all cruises are dependent on ocean and weather conditions. If conditions where to change and become unsafe or unsuitable to operate, we will try our very best to notify you 1.5hrs + before cruise departure, but keep in mind that this is not guaranteed and cruises can be cancelled at any time (even at the wharf or during the cruise) if conditions are deemed unsuitable or unsafe.
Important: To ensure we can contact you promptly if there is a necessary time change or cancellation, keep your phone on and close. Our primary way of communication is SMS & email. If there is a time change we will SMS then call if we do not receive a response. If we cannot reach you, we will also send an email. Check your phone number and email are correct on your booking details to avoid missing notifications.
SUITS
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I plan to revisit and would not consider going anywhere else. We were extremely well looked after, very comfortable and the trip was flawless . I do not hesitate to give them the highest recommendation
My 9 year old granddaughter had the time of her life. Learnt so much.
What a great experience!
Thank you
The captain was amazing and very fast to act when he saw a whale at a distance and ensured we got there fast enough to see it.
The marine biologist was also fantastic with so much passion for her job and definitely kept the vibes high throughout the trip!
The trip happens during sunset which makes seeing the whales even more magical. We saw soo many whales and they came so close to the boat. Definitely recommend !
The team was knowledgeable, passionate and clearly cares deeply about the marine environment. If you're visiting Byron or Ballina, put this on your list. A truly memorable experience.
Guides were friendly, helpful and would point out animals for us.
We were so lucky to have amazing conditions and see manta rays, leopard sharks and other big beauties.
The staff were so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable of all the awesome sea life we saw.
Would definitely do again!
Well organised and safe trip
She also took the time to point out differ ent marine life, including wobbegong sharks, green turtles and many different species of fish. it was a really enjoyable, well-run trip that I would recommend.
From trip advisor that we had to sign a pre wavier before being allowed on the dock! The link to the wavier didn’t work went to the actual tour company they didn’t have any wavier online and emailed trip advisor they didn’t respond. On the morning we had no idea if we were even allowed on the dock without this wavier called the tour company and they had an emergency number that they didn’t answer it and you couldn’t leave a message either so had to wait till trip advisor was opened and by then we were running about 10 mins late and the email said they will wait for no one so by the time trip advisor finically sent us a useable link the tour had begun and they offered no refunds for there error and either did the tour company bother companies were in the wrong and no one cared we were out over 500 and a family experience!! Don’t book with either company
On our way back we even saw some whales (probably humpback), although it was not the season for whales anymore. Very lucky!
Plenty of whale sightings with informative commentry by the guide. High safety standard practist by the onboard crew.
Highly recommended for visitors and locals a like.
Hazel was really nice and knowledgeable and we got to see SO MANY whales..and dolphins! So lucky!
Highly recommend, small boat (not touristy at all!l
Thank you very much!
Our guide was excellent. Knowledgeable, informative and enthusiastic.
Definitely recommend.
Appreciate that where the whales appear is random, but the boat can easily be turned to give everyone a chance at closer views/photos.
Those on the right would be delighted with the trip.
But! If you are sitting anywhere close to the front of the boat. Wear swimmers and nothing else. I wore shorts, t shirt, trainers w socks. And EVERYTHING got drenched. And I mean Drenched you couldn’t have got us more wet if you tried. The ponchos are useless all they do is pool up water and make your clothes more wet.
Other than me being a bit precious about my good clobber getting ruined I don’t have a bad word to say. Guides were great, we saw whales about 30m from the boat jumping straight out the water it was surreal.
Happy Trails,
Ben
The marine biologist was so knowledgeable & bery happy to share that knowledge. She was above excellent. We enjoyed it so much. Jenny Willis
Thank you Angus for welcoming us aboard and for for sailing us safely.
The adventure of getting out into the choppy waters was handled by an expert skipper who those us to the open waters. There we were blessed to see the majestic Humpbacks and the calf breaching, giving us an unforgettable show.
The marine biologist gave us precious information about their migrating routes, behaviours, mating rituals and we even got to listen to some of the males singing.
Thank you for such an amazing time 🐋🙏
Definitely do again.
I had no idea about some of the stuff!
Brilliant trip great boat
Great vibe
Skipper knew just where to go
Legend
Angus Steele and his crew were amazing .
I was quite anxious about going out to sea but the crew made me feel so at ease .
Angus is a very competent and skilled Skipper
and the lady Biologist was a wealth of information and knowledge. It was so educational. We highly recommend having this incredible experience.
What a day, incredible experience seeing the whales up close.
A great boat with fantastic skipper Angus that gets you up close to the whales along with a very knowledgeable guide (sorry I can’t remember her name) makes this a must do at Cape Byron.
Photographs just don’t do the experience justice.
In the area get this booked, 2 hours of non stop whale watching.








































