Whale Watching Tour with Spirit of Gold Coast

Great morning out with the wales !

Great morning of whales watching. The crew was very friendly and welcoming. We traveled with a 3 years old and this visit is totally adequate for little ones. We loved to be at the sea and to encounter those magnificent sea creatures. We will surely do it again as we want to see more of them ! Too impressive to be missed !

Enjoy it 100% knowing you will be guaranteed a whale sight!

While the Captain was telling us facts about whales, their behaviour and their travel patterns, we witnessed 2 whales travelling together 50mins into the trip. While travelling with the waves, the captain spotted what could be travelling Orcas and he was ready to extend the trip by extra 20mins if that meant we get to see the Orcas and the Whales in a duel. We also spotted dolphins in this trip. Also, the cruise promised that they would take us on another trip for free if this trip did not allow us to see the whales which was a breath of relief. However, I do not recommend this trip to anyone who get seasick. The travel calm/ ginger pills might not be good enough to keep your sea sickness at bay.

Great experience

Amazing experience, saw dolphins and whales on the water and the captain was very nice. Would recommend to anyone

Whales

Loved it! Saw 3 whales and lots of pics. Will go again next season, friends loved it too. I highly recommend! Went in June.

Amazing whale watching ride

Amazing cruise! Perfect for families with kids since it’s about 2 hours. Not too long for little ones to get tired but just enough to get close encounters with whales. It didn’t take long for spotting a whale (about 15 min in a ride). Plenty opportunities to take pictures and videos of whales. Nice crew and a boat (inside sitting available). Absolutely loved it and enjoyed. Definitely exceeded all expectations. Highly recommend.

Amazing morning at sea!

Amazing experience, crew were so kind and knowledgeable! Would highly recommend & very affordable! Big boat with loads of view points, crew always available for questions and enough time to embrace the full experience

Inquisitive whale

So lucky to get up close to an inquisitive whale who swam over to the boat to check us out. It was a perfect morning out on the humpback highway :-)

Whales and more whales

Amazing experience. Whales were out and about and loved performing for our cruise. We had the best time Captain and crew were lovely and the captain was very knowledgeable about whales

Awesome experience!!

Awesome experience, friendly crew with great commentary from the skipper. The team enjoy it as much as you do so makes for a great experience as it creates a great atmosphere. A must do!!

Amazing!

Whale watching was an absolutely breathtaking experience. Seeing humpback whales up close, performing their majestic breaches and tail slaps, left me in awe. The sheer size and grace of these magnificent creatures were beyond anything I had imagined. We were fortunate to witness a pod engaging in bubble net feeding, a rare and mesmerizing sight. The skill and coordination displayed by the whales were astonishing. The knowledgeable guides provided fascinating insights into whale behavior and conservation efforts. The thrill of spotting a whale's fluke or hearing their powerful spouts created unforgettable memories. The experience fostered a deep appreciation for marine life and the importance of protecting these gentle giants. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Spirit does it again!

As per normal, it was a nice easy pleasurable cruise again onboard the Spirit of Gold Coast vessel. It is secure and staff are knowledgable.

Whale watching

It was so much fun! We saw a whale and many dolphins. The dolphins swam righ aside the boat. We saw the whale many times. The guide on the boat had a lot of interesting facts about whales and other sea animals.

Morning with humpback whales

First booking was cancelled by email, We rebooked and it was a breeze. Saw a few humpbacks this morning, great experience!

Poor quality

Overall poor quality service. Old and dirty vessel. Did not see any Whale. Did not receive rebooking information or future credit. Received the confirmation email for the trip and the advice the day after the trip. I do not recommend it to anyone.

Whale Watching

Great experience seeing a whale and it’s calf - it was near the end of the whale migrating season so there weren’t any close up encounters like in season, but it was still a worthwhile experience….…next time I’ll try to go at the right time…

Wonderful magical tour

My mum and I went on this tour and we were both overwhelmed at how special and precious it was to see a whale and her calf swimming and playing around the boat. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Worst experience

They left without us. The moment I reached the boat which was already there they just left. We got late because of massive traffic jam we tried calling them but there is no phone number. We sent emails everything but still they left without us despite the fact that boat was still on shore. Very unprofessional and I demand my money back.

Whale watching? Should have been called whale glimpsing!

Unfortunately, we spent 2 hours bobbing up and down on the ocean looking for whales that didn't want to play. It seems that most whales had migrated, so it would have been difficult to spot them. When we did, they were so far away and surfaced for a couple of seconds only. Not the greatest trip I've been on.

Great Experience

Although we didn't have any whales breaching right out of the water, we saw them close up - a mother and her calf and a few others. The commentary was interesting and informative, with a great sense of humour, and the staff were so accommodating and kind to everyone, making the experience wonderful. The boat was comfortable, and all the expected safety measures were in place. I would definitely recommend using Spirit of Gold Coast to see the whales!

Can skip

Can skip this tour We saw only the tip of 2 whales and they were going and coming around. I don’t think it was a good use of 3 hours and $

Patience pays off

The whales were really shy and whilst we saw blow holes, they didn’t surface fully. The captain and crew were brilliant and persevered and eventually we saw two pods (Mum and Calf). The Captain was very informative with lots of whale facts. Had an amazing time.

Captain’s Humour

The team were informative and very entertaining. Also went out of their way to take us to see more whales when we should have been going back to dock!

Good day bad weather

The tour itself was great, we were just not fortunate with the weather which meant it was harder to see whales but when we did our captain headed towards them so we could view them better but they made it difficult for us to spot them. We were lucky enough to see a baby come right up beside the boat just before we had to head back in.

Staff onboard rude/unhelpful

Staff were rude, not helpful, wouldn’t recommend and wouldn’t do it again..sad as i brought this for friends bday and she was very disappointed! the only highlight, dolphins, only saw a whale tail out in the distance so don’t do late morning/early afternoon as waste of money!

Our Expectations were due to the description to high

Waited very long until we saw the first dolphins and whales. The team can not help but our expectations were probably too high due to the description.

Amazing!

The whole experience from start to finish was excellent. Always got a quick response to emails and grateful we were able to reschedule due to not being well enough for our original booked dates. The crew were professional, funny, friendly, approachable and made the experience very memorable. The day we went there was another event at The Spit which meant traffic was a nightmare. They were kind enough to wait for people stuck in traffic. We loved that it was a more intimate experience, felt more personable than other “more commercial” companies. We could see that they care more about preserving the whales than racing over and scaring them off. It was pretty cold so a jumper is recommended. I suffer terribly with motion sickness so took double doses to ensure a good experience. Dosed the rest of the family too just to be sure no one missed out on the amazing experience. Thanks to all for making it a wonderful experience ❤️🐳🐋

Beautiful experience and wonderful crew

We went on the tour as a group of 4 for my Mum’s birthday and, knowing that it’s closer to the end of the season, weren’t expecting to see many whales (if any!) but were excited for the experience either way as we’d never been. Weren’t we shocked then, when we were spotting mums, calves and pods as soon as we reached the ocean! The crew were lovely, friendly and helpful and added a great element of fun with their commentary and whale facts during the trip. It was a wonderful, immersive experience and so exciting to see these beautiful animals in their home. Such an incredible treat to conclude the tour with whales emerging just off the side of the boat, and constant sightings all the way back to the marina. I appreciated so much that the crew was considerate of the whales and actively sought to let them approach, especially when seeing other boats speeding towards the whales with no care. The boat itself was really comfortable and not overcrowded at all, super pleasant and well organised. It was a really great experience and we’ll definitely go again! Thanks so much!

Good value experience

We got a good deal and it was amazing. $210 for three adults. You don't have to go far out to see whales. We saw lots. Breaching and just surfacing

Excellent experience! Lots of whale sightings!

Absolutely phenomenal experience! Saw at least 4 different whale breaches less than around 100m away! Would definitely recommend

Trip cancelled no refund

The trip was cancelled because of weather. I requested for refund but no response. I need someone to help with the process.

Awesome Experience

Awesome experience. Very friendly and empathetic staff. Waited for us and gave us directions. I will Highly recommend it.

Magical and exciting

Even though the whales were not to active, it was beautiful to get a glimpse of the raising to the service.

Wicked

The commentary was very informative and the skipper was clearly very passionate about his whales 🐳. Brilliant will definitely be back nearer the start of the season, having said that we saw so many.

Fantastic experience, worth getting up early for!

Fantastic experience, worth getting up early for! Enjoyed a cuppa and biscuits before heading out. We saw heaps of whales and a sea turtle. The outing was enjoyed by all of us - family group of 7 adults. Captured some great video and appreciated the option of buying some shots taken by a pro on board.

Fantastic

Well, I have been on the Sea World Whale Watching experience, but this far surpasses that! They crew are so friendly from the welcome, the complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits (Arnotts!) to their commentary and just general approachability. It was not happening for us, the whales kept diving and proved elusive, but the crew offered to stay out another 30 mins to give us an experience to remember. It was just that. We had the whales doing double pectoral fin slaps, breaching right in front of the boat and generally entertaining us for 30 mins. This is the tour to go on. Thoroughly recommend

Whale watching

We had a wonderful time and saw so many whales. We got quite close and it was amazing to see. The only downside was that if you didn’t get onto the front deck quick enough you had to stay indoors and watch through the windows. Perhaps the crew could rotate passengers wanting to go on deck for a fairer system

Disappointing

The tour was cancelled by the operator and until now we didn’t get the money back. We think that that there were not enough bookings on the tour.

Won a MILLIONS of HAPPINESS!!!

We took the 7:30 am trip and we were so lucky to see an active pod of humpbacks. Crew was so accomodating and knowledgeable, it’s worth it!

It was concealed

It was cancelled and they told us to apply for a refund through trip adviser . I can't work out Hoe to do it just another example of how things are made harder when they don't need to be

Fab experience

Seeing a calf and mother was out of this world … we had a fantastic outing and there was so much to see

Whales galore !!!

W O W.... what a truly beautiful day. So many whales, so close and so active. Crew were really nice and knowledgeable. Great experience

The staff are amazing, they are so friendly and have so much knowledge and love for their job. It is a family business!

The experience with this family owned company is so wonderful. The staff friendly and knowledgeable about the life and characteristics of these wonderful whales. I recommend you come along at least once, if you are visiting, and come often if you are local,

Fantastic day!

We booked onto this cruise, and it was AMAZING! The boat was big - with different viewing areas. The inside area was good for the toddler to move about in. The bar was good - a glass of wine while looking at the whales was a bonus! We saw

An amazing whale watching experience.

My wife and I went on the morning trip and at first saw a few whales from a distance. The whales came closer and just before we turned back a humpback whale breached a few meters from the boat. Everyone was clapping and cheering. It was an awesome experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

Excellent

Excellent tour, staff were friendly and worked hard to give us the best whale experience. Highly recommend this tour. We went on the 9.30 tour and it was great

Wonderful Whales in the Wild

We spent a morning whale watching and had a fantastic time. The welcome aboard gave a great impression for what was going to be a magical trip. We were given complimentary coffee or tea with biscuits whist we waited for everyone to board. Once we left port an informative briefing set out our tour ahead, and then we met the whales, many of them, all around us. These wonderful creatures didn't disappoint and our captain took great care to seek them out without crowding them. All through the tour our captain gave a very informative commentary, and we would divert when there was a new siting.

Good value and well organized

I tad late for this review but better late than never. Our day wasn't the best but I still give the operators 5 stars as they run a professional well organized tour, very polite, knowledgeable and helpful especially as my son was sea sick most the trip. The unfortunate part was we didn't get to see much whales that day as we were towards the end of season and the weather was overcast and dreary. Thats said, next time we are on the goldy we will come again at a better date when the whales are really rocking. Great value as well

Great morning out for animal lovers

We took a group of Intellectually Disabled adults on the morning whale watch, and they had a great time. The staff were very welcoming, friendly and helpful. The whales were a little shy, but we still saw enough to be very happy with the whole experience. We'll be back next season!

Amazing fun and funny

When the whale flap its tale 5 or 6 times right in front of the boat the whales are Glorious! We have been on many whale tours on the goldcoast with several different conpanys including big names like seaworld and this was by far the best one.

Be prepared to be disappointed

We were very excited to finally see whales from a short distance. However the experience was quite disappointing Yes, we saw a couple of whales from very far away, but nothing better than going to Burley Heads and see them from the lookout. I'm pretty sure we were just unlucky. In fact, the captain wanted to extend the cruise to 5pm so we could actually see whales. However, some guests had to be back by 4pm so we had to go back 🙁. Forget about the free cruise guarantee - as long as you see a whales tale as big as a stamp, there won't be any free trip. Reading the reviews, I'm sure this is usually an amazing experience but be prepared to be disappointed.