Humpback Whale Encounter Tour from Newcastle

A wonderful experience

Cannot rate this experience highly enough, saw so many whales and our driver was friendly and very informative. The boat was comfortable and the jackets they gave us kept us warm. Would definitely recommend

Part of the pod

Not our first trip with XP and others for whale tours in Newcastle, but the most successful. Cold and miserable to start we thought we were going to miss out today for the first half hour, then Glen hunted down a pod of six and we sat in and amongst them running north for nearly an hour. The first time we have ever 'heard' them on a tour. The weather coats are a great new initiative and kept us warmer and dryer. We went on a whim and had a lovely experience. The smile on my wife's face was no fluke

Nature at it's best

Always an amazing experience searching for humpback whales. Every tour is unique. You never know how awesome your day is going to be. Nature at it's finest... Thanks Dom for another brilliant trip on Atmos.

Best whale watching experience

Well organised. Our skipper, Jane, had a wealth of information. We saw 3 playful whales, 2 pods of dolphins, schools of spawning fish and a New Zealand fur seal. The tour boat was easy to access, comfortable and had uninterrupted views. Comfortable weather jackets are supplied. The Newcastle coastline is stunning.

Cruise to see whale’s only saw mother and calf and one seal operator tried her best but not much around

Tried hard to find whales covered lots of areas only mother and calf Sights we great and she kept trying to find wild life but not much success

Fantastic experience, great commentary and would highly recommend

We were privileged to see seals and whales on their southbound and northbound journey. Fantastic experience. Water and juice provided

A whale of a time

Fantastic trip from start to finish. Our guide made us all feel safe with a thorough briefing. The boat was amazing. We were issued with fantastic coats that kept us warm and dry. We had hoped to catch a glimpse of a whale and we were not disappointed. Within 10 minutes the guide found a mother with her calf. Everyone was over the moon. Then throughout the remaining time we observed 5 more adults. This has been a most memorable experience. We highly recommend it. 10/10

Excellent experience

We recently had a fantastic experience with CoastXP and highly recommend them. Our guide was very knowledgeable and excellent at navigating the boat when conditions got a little bumpy. We will definitely book another tour with CoastXP in the future.

Amazing

Our guide Tracy was amazing and very mindful of the whales and their migration route, behaviour and routine. Whales were a bit shy today but we saw a lot of them, took pictures etc and we looked for them and follow them a bit. However, it was really important to me that their space was respected and not invaded in order to please the tourists. They were not so keen to jump around today and that is okay! Thank you for thinking of the animals first ❤️

Quite Stunning ..do it!

Early August afforded my husband a well-earned couple of days leave -we chose Whale Watching with Coast XP & we cannot speak too highly of everything about the trip...AND we were lucky >.even scored a breach! But it couldnt have mattered >> An amazing purpose-built craft, sensible over-clothing provided & serious attention to our safety meant we all were thrilled just to go out & see what the ocean would show us .. snoozing Seals, bomb-diving Gannets reluctant Dolphins & ,, those magnificent Humpbacks. We scored. Everyone should do this! Its a privilege going out,,,,& no trip could be better managed than Coast XP Thank you so very much! ## & even though we were nearly late for departure, no irritation whatsoever was evidenced by our(!) timing error, & every effort was made to ensure were included . Which indeed we were! Gracious & courteous..professional & friendly ..this is the real deal!

Exciting boat ride in rough conditions lucky to see whales so close.

We were fortunate that despite bad winds up to 30knots. We still witnessed 3 huge female whales still heading up x coast. Take your spray jackets.

Wonderful experience sightseeing Whales and Dolphins.

Such a wonderful experience. Firstly, I have to say how nice it was of our boat guide to wait for me after I got a little delayed trying to park. He helped me find a place and waited a little past 9 am for me to join the boat. And I'm so glad he did. We saw loads of common Dolphins swimming by the boat and leaping out of the water. And we had two Whale spots, a mother and calf and a lone male. The latter was far away, but seeing these incredible creatures in the wild is fantastic. I can highly recommend CoastXP.

A Whale of a time with CoastXP :)

Hi, We selected CoastXP for their strong reputation and were not disappointed! The experience was super smooth, boat new, and very safe. Keep in mind we did the experience with our 2 kids: 8 & 3 y/o. We saw our first whale within the first 15mn out of the harbor and were blessed with a long close up as we were following one (or two?) Humpback whale. The coastal view from the sea is a bonus too! Highly recommend.

Fabulous whale encounters

We had an amazing experience with our guide Dominic! He shared information about the large boats entering and exiting the harbor as well as info about the whales and their migration! He captured great photos of the whales and shared them with me after the tour. The smaller boat was very clean and comfortable and allowed you to be up close with the whales. The jackets provided were warm and helped block the wind. Great experience and highly recommend!

This was one of the best experiences we have seen as a family

Highly recommend this to families . Everything was well organised and the tour guide was very informative and helpful

great tour

Jane was very knowledgeable and made every effort to show us whales and we saw plenty of other wildlife as well which included a lucky albatross.

Great experience

Jane was superb, the whole experience excellent. We really had to look hard to see any whales, but in the end we did and it was magical.

Fantastic Experience

Fantastic experience. We saw a pod of dolphins surrounding the boat, a mother and new baby calf then a very playful male showing off. Shame some of the other customers did not listen to instructions and blocked the view of others behind them, that was the only disappointing part.

Whales and dolphins and more whales!

An unforgettable experience - would highly recommend this tour. Pods of humpbacks and dolphins were just amazing. The guide was so friendly and knowledgeable and relaxed.

Elemental. Profound. Exhilarating!

Exhilarating! Tracy took us out in inclement, icy weather with a solid swell. However, at no time did I feel unsafe or uncomfortable. We saw over a dozen humpback whales. Several times these magnificent creatures surfaced less than 10 ft from the boat. We felt we could touch their graceful forms as they rose and submerged. And, once they swam under our stationary vessel. Tracy managed these encounters safely and was a mine of information. There was no topping this experience. Definitely recommended! Thank you.

Probably the best of the Newcastle whale tours.

It turned out to be a grey, showery day, but CoastXP made sure we all stayed warm and dry. This was a perfect boat for whale watching, we were seated three across so could easily see what was happening on both sides of the boat. It was also fast, quickly getting us close to new sightings. The whales did not seem disturbed by the boat, in fact, they came close to us and followed us along. While they were concentrated on heading north, rather than playing, we got great views, and photos I was very pleased with.

Newcastle at its best

I had looked at the Coast XP boat when walking past the Newcastle marina for some years now. I finally got to experience a two hour ride last week at 9am in perfect weather with blue skies. The ride did not disappoint, not only did I get to see our beautiful city and southern beaches from the water, I was also able to see 7 whales. After seeing two lots of two whales, diving like the dolphins as they swam north, Dom, our captain headed away from the coast. We caught up to a pod of three whales who were frolicking as they swam north. Dom slowed the boat down so that we could watch them more closely and explained that they make a 5000km journey from Antartica to Far North Queensland each year in June and July. Imagine our delight when one of the pod breached, not once but four or five times. What a show off! Really capped off our morning trip woh this show stopper! Can thoroughly recommend the whale encounter, great organisation and such fun!

Glorious morning adventure

We had a fabulous experience on a sunny morning coming across 7 humpback whales. The morning was glorious and as we progressed further out to sea our whales became more playful ending with 4 breaches and plenty of fin flapping . A sight to behold. Dominic was very friendly, enthusiastic and informative. A terrific experience all round.

The best whale watch in Newcastle

Our guide was fantastic. She found lots of whales and some of them swam under the boat. I would happily recommend this tour to anyone.

Brilliant Whale Watching Experience.

Brilliant! Booked the tour for my daughter's birthday and we couldn't have been happier. Saw several large pods of 'large 'whales! The boat is ideal for whale watching, everyone has a good view and the complimentary wet weather gear was a bonus! Weather was perfect but we were protected from the cool breeze. The professionalism and personality of our skipper, Dom, was another big plus, and receiving his photos taken on our trip was the icing on the cake!

Amazing trip!

Loved this trip today! We went with 3 kids from 4-9years who also had a blast. We had such great views of the whales the whole time - so much closer than we had expected - with also a few encounters of them approaching very close to the boat, even diving just beneath it on one occasion. Atmos was comfortable and the trip was smooth. Jane was super knowledgable - we all learnt heaps! Thanks team!

An experience you will never forget.

What an awesome experience Dom had us in the perfect position to get some amazing pictures an experience I will never forget. Until the next trip I book. Cannot wait.. Highly recommended.👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Up close and personal with whales

An unforgettable experience. We got up close and personal with the whales. Dom was a great Captain and guide. Highly recommend this experience.

Whale Encounter

Amazing Whale Encounter. Dom and Jane were wonderful from start to finish, so very knowledgeable and informative. The Atmos is a wonderfully fitted out and clean vessel. It's our 3rd time out with the Coast XP company and it will not be the last. On your visit to Newcastle make one of their trips a must do on your list.

Best Newcastle attraction

Incredible experience. Many whales, we saw beaching and tail slapping. A pod of dolphins and a resident seal. 2 hours of action packed viewing Great team and knowledge of local area and marine life I can highly recommend if you are visiting Newcastle or a local

Amazing Afternoon out

The whole trip was amazing and very informative it was very cool to past the coast of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. We were very lucky to see whales that day it took a long time but we got there . Will definitely be coming back next year.

No whales

No whales. No seals. Saw turns. .. we looked at a coal ship. As was explained to us... That is nature flexing it's muscles.. have a good day.

Whale adventure!

A super adventure, it's worth it. We saw two whales. The boat was very pleasant. You could hear the communication between the whales via a special microphone under water, which was very interesting.

Amazing trip

Very nice experience, first time watching the whale :) Dom was an informative guide and very friendly. Worth the time to take the chance. Will be back again.

Fantastic humpback whale watching experience

The whale encounter was a fantastic experience. We saw humpback whales at a fairly close distance and they were beautiful. The boat was fast, clean and comfortable and the guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about the sea life.

Awesome Whale Watching Experience

Dom did a fabulous job for us conducting the whale watching tour on 3-Oct-2022. The boat itself, though small, was great too - quick and allowed us to feel the experience closely.

Great experience

We had a great experience we saw 5 whales, seals and dolphins, Dom was a great guide very informative and friendly . Would highly recommend

Great boat ride but a brief appearance of the whales unfortunately. Looked hard and chased hard.

Enjoyed a fast enjoyable boat ride south to Redhead and about 8ks out to sea and saw the big tankers waiting to come into port. Unfortunately the whales were hard to find and finally at the end of our time a mum and calf ‘blew and tail wagged and breached’ then swam off. So not a lot of whales watching unfortunately but an enjoyable morning on the water and skipper did a wonderful job.

Fantastic and safe experience

Fantastic experience, tour guide was very competent, informative and friendly. Operative when above and beyond to make our experience joyful and safe. Highly recommend

Whale watching: Mum and Calf

Had a fantastic time with Coast XP. They go above and beyond for you to maximise your chances of seeing a whale and that experience is mind-blowing. I was lucky enough to see both a Mum and calf. Would highly recommend.

Birthday Gift

It is brilliant that we have finally been on a whale watching tour that we actually saw some whales and extremely up close. Never ever knew there was so much information given by Dom and Andre. It was fantastic. We would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Great tour guides

Great Family Activity

Great family day out. Whales, dolphins and seals👍🏻 Friendly and professional staff. Convenient location, close to the light rail. Dom was very patient and helpful getting our group of seven organised. Highly recommend.

A must do for locals & visitors alike!

Had a great day out today whale watching! Dom & his crew were friendly, helpful & very knowledgeable with fascinating facts on whales. I've lived in Newcastle all my life & have never taken a tour before - think I'll make it an annual event!

Immersive and memorable!

If you’re looking for a quality tourism experience in Newcastle, CoastXP is it! Our expert guides, Dom and Dave tee’d up two lively, lady humpbacks who delivered “the best breaching show” anyone on board has seen. Dom’s commentary was engaging and informative, and the tour along the coastline was impressive. Being out on the water reminded me of the power of the ocean, and hearing the whales dip and dive (once beneath the boat) was incredible. I’d absolutely recommend CoastXP’s Encounter Tour to anyone interested in experiencing Newcastle, and the wildlife and ocean lovers out there 🐳

Friendly & professional whale watching tour right from the Newcastle Harbour!

This fast boat took us alongside the humpback whale northbound highway! We saw 7 or 8 humpbacks, got a terrific & uncommon view of the city of Newcastle & down toward Redhead, and Dim & Tracey were professional & friendly. We were on the water for about 2 hours, right from the harbour near the Rydges hotel in Newcastle. Wear your warmest clothes with a wind proof layer. It.Was.Cold. - but worth it!

Such a Fantastic Experience!

We had such a great time whale watching on CoastXP’s fantastic eco-boat. The two guys, Dom and Dave were very helpful getting me on board as I have a mobility problem. I really enjoyed the fast ride out to sea and then we met two amazing humpback whales. They definitely knew we were there and they put on an amazing performance of breaches and tail flapping and waving their flippers at us. Everyone onboard was ecstatic. Later in the trip we saw a couple of other whales and a pod of dolphins. Dom also gave us lots of information about humpback whales which was super interesting. It was the best experience and is highly recommended.

The best whale encounter

An incredible encounter tour with Dom and Tracey from Coastal XP. Exceeded all expectations with multiple whale, dolphin, albatross, and seal encounters. There were numerous whales breaching throughout the tour, which were easy viewing and spotting thanks to the skill of the Coastal XP crew. We were given in depth local, indigenous and marine education throughout the 2+ hours in the water. A fantastic experience and would highly recommend to anyone and everyone. We are ready to go again!

June 23rd whale watching from Newcastle

Excellent whale watching. Followed a breeching whale up the coast and were so close, as well as a mother whale and her calf. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. An amazing experience overall.

Awesome experience

WOW! A wonderful experience! A picture perfect day with pleasant conditions. I loved the boat 360 views awesome informative crew. And what a show the whales put on for us…. Spectacular outing. Thank you so much 💕🙌🙏💕

Amazing experience.

Dom delivered the trifecta - dolphins, seals and whales breaching. The boat is amazing and Dom and Tracy were fantastic. There was a bit of wind and swell but the boat was stable and comfortable. Highly recommend.