Humpback Highway

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 it’s time to go?

Scientists believe migration is triggered by a combination of changing water temperatures, daylight hours, food availability, and instinctive memory passed through generations. As Antarctic waters begin to cool and krill availability changes, humpback whales begin their journey north, following routes they have travelled for thousands of years. Researchers also believe whales rely on a remarkable spatial memory and possibly even Earth’s magnetic field to navigate with incredible accuracy.

For us here at Wildlife Coast Cruises, the start of the migration is one of the most exciting times of year. With more than 10 years of whale watching experience around Phillip Island, we’ve witnessed firsthand just how spectacular these encounters can be. Our tours have an exceptionally high whale sighting success rate during migration season, with humpbacks regularly seen breaching, tail slapping, and travelling close to the boat.

Humpback Highway

The whales we encounter are mainly spotted along the southern coastline of Phillip Island, particularly around Seal Rocks, Pyramid Rock, Cape Woolamai and off Powlett river. Whales can be sighted a few km’s away and as close as within 100m from shore. On calmer days, it’s not unusual to see multiple pods moving steadily along the coastline, sometimes joined by dolphins, seals and seabirds feeding nearby.

In 2025 we encountered around 400 whales from our boats alone! While humpback whales make up the majority of our sightings, Southern Right Whales and Killer Whales have also been spotted throughout each season.

Whale sightings App

One of the best parts of whale season is how the local community helps track sightings. We send live notifications of sightings on our Wildlife Whales app – free to download! Sightings are also compiled on the Phillip Island Whale Map. If you spot a whale from shore or on the water, you can contribute valuable citizen science data simply by submitting your sighting through the app.

As the migration ramps up over the coming weeks, there’s no better time to get out on the water and experience it for yourself. Every whale sighting is different, and every season brings new surprises along the Victorian coast.

All images taken on board our cruises, below image captured by our Citizen Science Photographer Benjamin Eriksson.