Mills Charters offer daily boat cruises to see the awesome humpback whales that migrate down the WA coast from early September to early December.
The spectacular sight of a humpback whale breaching
I went on one of Mills Charters' fantastic cruises and was treated to a breathtaking display, as a number of humpback whales frolicked and showed off so close to our boat. We gasped with excitement with each new sighting and spectacular move of these giant mammals, that can grow up to 19 metres long and weigh up to 40 tons.
Tail flick
Conveniently departing from Hillarys Boat Harbour the 3-4 hour cruise allowed ample time to find the whales and soak up the wonder of the experience of seeing these majestic mammals up close, in the wild.
Humpback whale breaching
With a phenomenal 30,000-35,000 humpback whales migrating to Antarctica along the WA coast you would think it wouldn't be too hard to spot these monstrous mammals, but remember we are talking about the vast Indian Ocean and they do dive for 15-45 minutes at a time, so seeing them on the surface takes a patient and keen eye. Fortunately the crew, Shaun, Ryan and Paddy, were seasoned whale watchers with a skilled eye for spotting these mammals. We were spoilt for sightings on our cruise as we saw a pod of 5 humpbacks in one area and pods of 2-3 whales in number of other areas.
Great excitement as a whale breaches
We were entertained with incredibly exciting whale activity. Everyone on the boat eagerly scanned the ocean surface in anticipation to see where the whales would pop up again. Then there would be a flurry as cameras snapped madly catching the display, and we eagerly asked each other, "Did you get that?" or excitedly reported "I got that!". The whales we saw dived and kicked up their spectacular tails, repeatedly slapped their side fins and breached over and over to our excitement and surprise.
Whales slapping their side fins
Mills Charters' large 75ft boat has a huge open deck and a spacious bow area which allows everyone to have a fantastic view of the whales. The boat has cover to protect from the sun or rain but it's recommended you bring something warm to wear.
Mills Charters Whale watching boat at Hillarys Boat Harbour
Our knowledgable crew provided great information about the whales and there were informative fact sheets available to read as we cruised out into open water in search of the whales.
Fortunately no one had to avail themselves of the sick bags on our trip but if there is any possibility you may get squirmish out on the rolling sea, take something for sea sickness before you leave, so you can fully enjoy your trip!!!
Luckily these bags were only used as props for a laugh
start at $55/person.
Cruises depart daily at 9:00 am during the season (usually early September thru early December) and on weekends at 1:30pm.
