Wildlife Diaries

At Phillip Island Our beautiful Island became a holiday destination for two mating Southern Right Whales recently, with the active couple being sighted multiple times across a variety of locations. First spotted in the surf off Penguin Parade (Summerland’s) on 11/08/26, a single SRW was soon joined by a mate,…

Sadly, our beautiful migrating whales finished the northward part of their annual journey of up to 10,000 km from Antarctic feeding grounds to warm and sunny Queensland, here they breed and give birth to their calves. Happily, we are still seeing quite a few whales passing the island on their…

World Ocean Day is an annual global celebration held on 8 June to raise awareness about the critical role the oceans play in sustaining life on Earth. The oceans are the lifeblood of our planet, as Sir David Attenborough famously states, “If we save the sea, we save our world.” He…

Whale Update Winter has arrived, bringing some incredible wildlife encounters to Phillip Island. The first whales of the season are here! Our first sighting from a Wildlife Coast Cruises vessel was on 29 May, when a pod of five killer whales was spotted on our Seal Cruise. The pod included…

Gentle Giants of the South Growing up to 17 metres long and weighing as much as 80 tonnes, southern right whales are among the most impressive animals to visit our coastline. Yet despite their size, these gentle giants remain endangered in Australia, with the national population still only a fraction…

Few wildlife encounters are as unforgettable as spotting a killer whale slicing through the water off the Victorian coast. Also known as orcas, these striking black-and-white predators are the largest members of the dolphin family and among the most intelligent hunters in the ocean. Throughout the years, killer whales have…

Each year, as the weather cools in Victoria, humpback whales begin one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom. After spending summer feeding in the icy, nutrient-rich waters of Antarctica, these giants start travelling north along Australia’s east coast toward warmer tropical breeding grounds. But what tells a whale…

Spotting a whale from the coast is one of those unforgettable winter moments on Phillip Island and along the Bass Coast. Each winter, migrating whales travel along Victoria’s coastline, with Phillip Island becoming one of the best places in the state to see them. Some whales cruise steadily past the…

As Mother’s Day approaches, it’s a perfect time to reflect on one of the ocean’s most remarkable bonds, the connection between humpback whale mothers and their calves. After a gestation of around 11 to 12 months, humpback cows travel from Antarctic feeding grounds to warm waters off northern Australia to…

The Winter Migration Thinking about joining our winter whale cruise? Here’s a closer look at what the experience can offer, and what makes each trip out on the water so unique. From June to August, our 3 to 4 hour cruises are scheduled daily from San Remo and Rhyll, right…