Winter is whale season on the Great Ocean Road – a wonderful time to spot these gentle giants of the ocean.
The Great Ocean Road is Australia’s most famous coastal road. The scenic drive takes in many highlights, including surf beaches, wildlife and rock formations such as the 12 Apostles. But did you know that there is a chance to spot whales as well?
While the weather is certainly much cooler during Melbourne’s winter months, this period is still a fantastic time to visit the Great Ocean Road.
Not only is the Great Ocean Road much quieter and the crowds at the famous locations much smaller, but the ocean swells are also much more powerful and spectacular. Guests on our Great Ocean Road day tours also have a real chance of spotting a whale or two in the waters just off the coast!
If you are visiting the city and want to take a day trip from Melbourne to the Great Ocean Road, jump onboard a Go West Tour and we will show you all the highlights!
When is whale season on the Great Ocean Road?
Between June – October every year, Southern Right Whales set out on their journey from the cool waters of Antarctica to the warmer areas of the Indian Ocean. For many whales, this journey includes a visit to Bass Strait, which spans the length of the Great Ocean Road between Victoria and Tasmania.
Southern Right Whales gather in numbers of up to 10,000 right across southern Australia to breed and raise their calves before returning to the Antarctic feeding grounds. That’s right! For around 6 months every year these whales stop eating and concentrate on rearing their young. When the calves are born, they weigh between 1 to 1.5 tonnes, which is up to a third of the mass of one of our touring vehicles! When fully grown, adults may weigh up to 80 tonnes!
Whale Species
During migration, the most commonly seen species is the Southern Right Whale, but it’s not uncommon to also spot humpbacks and blue whales, the largest animal on Earth. Here are some tips to distinguish each species from the other:
- Southern Right Whales are dark grey in colour with large white patches on the head and do not have a dorsal fin. Their most unique feature is the long upside-down smile which extends from the eye to the tip of the mouth. The Southern Right Whale also has a distinctive V-shaped blow pattern which makes them easy to identify from a distance.
- Humpback Whales are around the same length as the Southern Rights but weigh a lot less, making them look flatter and more stream-lined. They also have much longer pectoral fins which they stretch out like wings when breaching.
- Blue whales are lighter in colour and are, of course, much larger! They can be two times longer and heavier than the Southern Right!
Already this season there have been sightings at numerous locations along the Great Ocean Road, with some as close as 100 metres from the shore! With a bit of luck, you might catch a glimpse of these ocean giants during your Great Ocean Road day tour, but there are a couple of other coastal hotspots where whale sightings are very common, including Portland, Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Apollo Bay.
What other wildlife can be seen on the Great Ocean Road?
Koalas at Kennett River
On the Great Ocean Road, you can see koalas in their natural habitat in the eucalyptus forests of Kennett River. Seeing koalas in the wild is guaranteed to be a highlight of any trip to Australia. These iconic Australian animals are very sleepy because of their poor diet – which consists of solely eucalyptus leaves. As such they can be found close to their food source – lounging around in the eucalyptus trees!
Black snails in the Otway Rainforest
The Great Otway National Park stretches along the Great Ocean Road. It’s a wonderful place to stop and to immerse yourself in the tree ferns, ground ferns and towering mountain ash trees. You might even spot some of the wildlife – in particular black snails, insects and birds.
The Otway Black Snail is endemic to this region and can be seen along the Otway walking trails mostly after heavy rain. It is one of the world’s only carnivorous snails – feasting on dead insects on the forest floor.
Echidnas and seabirds at the 12 Apostles
The 12 Apostles are the most famous location along the Great Ocean Road. It will take your breath away to view the spectacular limestone stacks in Australia’s Southern Ocean. But be sure to also look around the trails and boardwalks at the 12 Apostles Lookout because it is possible to spot wildlife there as well.
Particularly in autumn, it is common to see echidnas foraging amongst the bushes on the cliff top. There are also many seabirds nesting on the cliff tops year round and even a colony of Little Penguins living in the sand dunes well below the lookout. The Little Penguins are difficult to see, but sometimes you can see their tiny outlines as they return from the ocean and waddle to the sand dunes just after sunset.
Highlights of our Great Ocean Road Tour
- Tour the scenic Great Ocean Road in the comfort of our touring bus
- See the incredible Twelve Apostles on the Shipwreck Coast
- Visit the Loch Ard Gorge, the site of an infamous shipwreck
- Enjoy coffee and cake in the surf town of Torquay
- See koalas in the wild at Kennett River
- Visit the coastal town of Apollo Bay
- Walk amongst lush ferns in the Otway Rainforest
Written by: Leah Furey – Digital Content Coordinator @gowest.com.au
