Whale Watching on vessel ORCA - Circular Quay Departure - Agent
Duration:
Operated By:
Jump onboard the and take part in Sydney’s most personal and most exciting whale watching experience.
You will be taken on an exciting and unforgettable journey to see the whales in their natural habitat on a purpose-built, military spec, high speed RIB.
Your high-speed whale watching boat departs from Circular Quay before turning up the power and blasting towards the open ocean. After speeding through the heads and into the Tasman Sea, you’re taken on a high-speed cruise out to see the whales – your skipper is in constant contact with other boat drivers to find the most friendly and approachable whale pods.
*All passengers must be at least 12 years old. Our other vessel, OSPREY, has a minimum age of 6 years old.
Tour departs from the Cambell’s Cove Pontoon at Circular Quay. Passengers must arrive 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure time.
If there is no availability for your ideal date click here to check availability for our other vessel.
We require a minimum of 48 hours notice for any booking cancellations or rescheduling requests
For directions to the departure location, please search “Campbell’s Cove Pontoon” in Google Maps.
Please arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the departure time listed on your confirmation.
Tours depart from the Campbell’s Cove Pontoon at Circular Quay, located at the northern end of the Overseas Passenger Terminal in front of the Squire’s Landing pub.
Boarding takes place from the floating pontoon at Campbell’s Cove, which is shared by a number of vessel operators, therefore there is no permanent signage at the wharf. Our vessel will arrive at the pontoon at least 20 minutes prior to departure. Please approach the driver on arrival to sign in.
What to Bring
• The credit card used to make the booking. Digital cards are accepted, including Apple Pay and similar services.
• A wind or spray jacket if you have one. If not, we can provide a jacket onboard, however you will still need to dress warmly underneath.
• Multiple layers of warm clothing are strongly recommended, as temperatures offshore can be significantly colder than on land.
• On particularly cold days we recommend bringing beanies, gloves, jackets, and extra warm layers. It is always better to be too warm than too cold.
• Sunglasses are essential, even on cloudy days, as they help protect against the wind.
• Sunscreen.
• Water bottles are welcome onboard, however glass bottles are not permitted.
• Bags can be safely stowed onboard during the tour.
• Cameras are welcome onboard at your own risk. While we generally do not get wet, this cannot be guaranteed.
Please note: Photos by Ocean Extreme are not included or guaranteed, however if we do take photos during the tour, we share them afterwards as a complimentary bonus.
If you are prone to motion sickness, we recommend visiting a pharmacy before travelling to enquire about suitable remedies.
Please do not bring takeaway coffees or food onboard.
Please make use of the restrooms at Circular Quay prior to boarding.
Whale Watching Guarantee
**If whales are not spotted during a whale watching tour, each passenger will receive a credit to return on another whale watching tour within the same season. Credits expire at the end of the season, are non transferable, and must be used by the original participant.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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We travelled quite a distance, the rib was comfortable & we were given a qualify waterproof jacket to wear.
The captain e-mailed photos of our trip to all on board which was a really nice gesture.
Well worth the money.
Would definitely whale watch again with Oceans Extreme..
We headed out on a great speedy and comfortable boat through Sydney’s heads in search of whales. We had dolphins playing alongside us as we went, and not long afterwards we had the great joy of seeing mother and calf humpback whales double breaching. A breathtaking and very special sight.
We stayed close enough for a great view, but at a respectful distance to ensure the whales space was not intruded on, for a good 40 minutes, watching them swim, play, and breach multiple times.
Our driver and guide was a lovely, knowledgeable man who gave us a great deal of insight into the facts and habits about these magnificent creatures.
Then an exhilarating, speedy ride back into the harbour.
2 of the best hours we have spent in our lives.
Thank you Ocean Extreme for making a long standing dream come true.
We will definitely be back!
Kristen & Mike
Tane is very passionate and has a lot of info to share. Excellent and personable customer service 😁
A group of four whales were just hanging out and we had two close encounters. Within a few metres of the boat one massive beast was standing its flippers out of the water and spy holing. Fantastic experience.
Leah shared so many fascinating facts about the whales, and together with Martin, they coordinated with other boats to find the best spots—so we got to see pods breaching, fin slapping, and just playing in the water. Every moment was just magical! 🥹
The OSPREY is a larger boat with seats and a roof, making it spacious and comfortable, while still giving us those thrilling bursts of speed (so much fun!). We ended up returning to shore a little later than planned because we were completely captivated by an incredible gathering of whales—totally worth it! 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋
Customer service was fantastic from start to finish—friendly, helpful, and super quick to respond.
I highly recommend this experience to anyone wanting to get up close with whales in a fun, knowledgeable, and professional way.
Thank you so much—I can’t wait to come back and maybe try one of the other boats next time for a different adventure! 💕💕
On our second attempt, the weather was beautiful and we saw around six different whales. The experience was truly unforgettable! The crew was amazing—very friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer all our questions.
100% recommend!
Highly recommend Ocean Extreme for whale watching in Sydney.
We were lucky to see a mother and a calf breach several times absolutely breathtaking and a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Great views of the Opera House and harbour as you come back in!
Our guide (sorry, I’ve forgotten his name) was fantastic really knowledgeable and a fun guy.
Highly recommend Ocean Extreme for your whale watching adventure!
My family and I went on the 8am Extreme boat with Blake. It was a beautifully clear day and we managed to find 3 pods of whales, one of which was very active. We got to see 3 breaches and there were plenty of tail flips. Had a fantastic time, it was a phenomenal experience! Might come back and do it again next year.
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and experienced out on the seas. Despite the conditions being a bit choppy our guide was able to bring us in and out of the harbour (at speed!) comfortably whilst it still being a thrilling experience.
2 hours time was just right, we had plenty of time to spot and follow the whales without being rushed.
Sean, our guide, gave us plenty of insights into whale behaviors.
After the trip, we got whale photos from the day, which added a nice touch to the experience
Manly on a rib with unfeasible amounts of thrust sitting on bows and enjoyed bouncing over the swell. At sea saw a pod of three humpbacks which we followed for an hour or so - magical. Recommended - but not if you get seasick or don’t like wind (and sea spray) in your hair.
The tour was incredible and definitely worth it. The experience of our guide Blake really showed, he was able to get us in great positions to view the whales and even spotted a pair of large sea Eagles on the way back into the harbour!
Would definitely recommend!
We spend a magic morning with my boyfriend. Thank you to the crew, they even gave us extra time to watch whales
✨ I really recommend to choose them ✨
























