Sydney Whale-Watching on EXTREME Speed Boat
Description
Board a speed boat for one of the most exciting and most personal whale-watching experiences in Sydney. You will blast out of Sydney Harbour and offshore into the Tasman Sea on your search for these magnificent creatures. Once located you will have plenty of photo opportunities as you travel alongside the migrating pod. Aboard the the fastest commercial vessel in Sydney, you'll get to the whales quicker than ever before. The completely open design of the vessel, along with its low position in the water, offers the only unparalleled, unobstructed and up close whale-watching experience.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 24 hour cancellation/rescheduling policy applies
- Passengers must be 12 years old
- Passengers with back, neck, shoulder injuries or heart conditions, or those who are pregnant or who have injuries/conditions that may cause a risk to their health are not permitted to ride on the boat
- For directions to the departure location; type "Campbell's Cove Pontoon" into google.
Reviews(325)
An early start to the day but well worth it. A belated whale watching birthday treat for my niece. The day started well with beautiful skies and a great rainbow as we were leaving Sydney Harbour - good omen. We had only just got out of the heads when we got our first whale - thought it was alone but there was two. We stuck with this pair the whole trip and we got lots of surface time but no breaches (they knew it was warmer in the water!) We did get tail slaps and a few fin displays plus dolphins and I love that you can see the albatross when on the water as they don't come to shore. The guys at Ocean Extreme are brilliant and so much knowledge and patience staying with the whales plus the best boats for viewing - so good being level with the ocean. We will be back.
I flew down from Cairns to go whale watching on my birthday. Beautiful calm day in Sydney with nil wind & calm seas. Ocean Extreme sent me a text and cancelled the trip due to strong winds and rough sea which was total @#%& see photos on the day. Not happy!
Hi Tina, Firstly, thank you for including the date in your screenshot because it allowed me to look up the actual offshore conditions we would have had to travel through to reach the whales. The whales were more than 4 nautical miles offshore that day. The offshore buoy recorded average wave heights of almost 3 metres, waves exceeding 4 metres, and strong southerly winds. For anyone reading this review, please don't take my word for it. Google the offshore conditions off Sydney on 8 July 2026 and ask whether it would have been appropriate for a small whale watching vessel to travel more than 4 nautical miles offshore in those conditions. I think you'll quickly understand why the decision was made. I also appreciate you posting photos from inside Sydney Harbour. They perfectly demonstrate why these situations can be so misleading. Sydney Harbour is not where we conduct our whale watching tours. Our destination was over 4 nautical miles offshore, where the conditions were completely different. We're a small family business, and during whale season we're almost fully booked every day. Cancelling costs us tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. We simply do not cancel unless we genuinely have to. If there was a safe way to operate, we would have been out there. Cancelling that day disappointed our passengers, disappointed our crew and cost our family business a significant amount of money. But we'd make exactly the same decision again because safety will always come first.
Exciting way to go whale watching! Was initially worried that I’d get sick (from someone with motion sickness) because of the speedboat’s bumpiness, but no one got ill. The guide was really keen to help us see the whales and was dedicated with sharing information about them. We got really close to the whales and they surfaced almost next to the boat! Overall would highly recommend!
Such an amazing experience, we learned how to spot where whales are based on air from their blowholes and we saw them breach so many times!! It’s a fun boat ride but not ideal for seasickness, one of our group members sat out because the seas were so rough but they were kind to refund her!
This was one of the first things we did after arriving in Sydney, and we were not let down. Online searches suggested this was a good time of year to do the tours, but we did not expect the experience we got. We saw 4 whale breaches in the short time on board, and this meant we got the opportunity to both take photos and videos and also just enjoy the moment. Our skipper Blake was clearly well informed on the whales and also was very accommodating. He noticed my girlfriend was struggling to see and provided a small step for her, which made all the difference. Couldn't recommend this trip to anyone highly enough. These guys clearly know their stuff!
The only way to whale watch!! They give you jackets and take photos of the wildlife just in case you don’t have the pro camera. Great friendly experience!!
Our skipper and whale guru Blake was an awesome guide. He is extremely knowledgeable and willing to answer any and all whale-related questions. We were thrilled to see humpback whales breaching, blowing, tail slapping, and twisting-‘n-turning in the waters off Sydney Harbour. We were treated to amazing non-stop whale behavior from 2-3 different pods.
Excellent. Exactly as advertised. Pricey but well worth the money. The operator was knowledgeable and friendly. Actually saw quite a lot of whales. The boat was fun and fast without being nausea-inducing.
The crew was great. We always felt safe. Provided the waterproof gear we needed. It was very early season so we prepared to not see anything. We saw a few dolphins and were about to head back when a whale breached fairly close to the boat. We were able to follow a pod of three whales. The crew stayed out extra time with us so we could see them even though they had other tours right after us. They made sure everyone on the boat got a great view.
Absolutely incredible experience, I would recommend to anyone visiting Sydney. The trip was well organised and the staff professional, polite and courteous. The trip itself was great fun and well thought out with jackets provided. I went at the start of the season and saw three wales and dolphins! The guide was really knowledgeable which made the whole experience worthwhile. Thank you :)
