Record-Breaking Year on the Water

Whale Season Wrap-Up 2025: A Record-Breaking Year on the Water

As we set out on our final whale watching cruise of the 2025 season, it’s the perfect time to look back at what’s been an absolutely incredible year on the water. From the chilly start of June through to early November, the coastal waters off Phillip Island and Wilsons Promontory came alive with the awe-inspiring presence of migrating whales.

Over 800 individual whale encounters were recorded during this season alone, making it our best to date. The vast majority were humpback whales, but we also had the pleasure of spotting southern right whales and even orcas in our local waters.

Wilsons Prom: A Whale Hotspot

Wilsons Promontory proved itself once again as a whale-watching haven. Nearly 380 whales were encountered off the Prom this season, including around 40 calves. Just in the past week, we ran six whale cruises and logged 41 humpbacks, seven of which were calves. Their playful breaching and close approaches (known as “mugging”) provided unforgettable moments for both our crew and passengers.

Incredible Behaviours on Display

From tail slaps and spy-hopping to full-body breaches, this season delivered an impressive array of whale behaviours. Calves were especially active, often breaching repeatedly as they honed their skills for the long journey ahead. We also witnessed milling groups and frequent mugging behaviour, where curious whales approach boats closely and linger, sometimes for nearly an hour.

Contributing to Science with Happywhale

Our partnership with Happywhale continues to make a big impact. This season, we submitted 250 new fluke images, each representing a unique humpback tail. Since 2024, we’ve added over 500 fluke IDs to the global database. Excitingly, half of those whales have been matched with previously identified individuals, helping researchers trace migration paths and understand whale behaviour over time.

These identifications have revealed fascinating patterns. Most of the whales we spot off Victoria’s coast travel all the way from their breeding grounds in the Great Barrier Reef to feeding grounds in the icy waters near the Balleny Islands. The data also helps answer key questions: Do whales return via the same routes each year? Are there key feeding stops along the way? Are more calves being born further south?

CSIRO and academic researchers across the country are using this information to study calving locations and feeding behaviours. Our local sightings are contributing directly to a broader understanding of Australia’s humpback population and the health of our marine ecosystems.

A Conservation Success Story

Perhaps the most inspiring part of this story is the whales themselves. Humpback whales were once hunted to the brink of extinction, with fewer than 150 individuals remaining in the eastern Australian population by the 1960s. Today, that number has soared to over 50,000, a testament to decades of conservation efforts and international protection.

Each season we are witnessing more whales, more calves, and more exciting behaviours. It’s a privilege to share these moments with our passengers and to contribute to the scientific community in the process.

As we wrap up the 2025 season, we want to thank everyone who joined us out on the water. Whether it was your first whale encounter or your fiftieth, we hope you came away with a deeper appreciation for these magnificent creatures and the rich marine life we’re so lucky to have right here off our coast.

We will continue updating on wildlife highlights in the area and look forward to next whale season!

Images of whales captured by Citizen Scientists on board, Helen Ruyter and Ian Ryan.