Western Australia's whale season is one of the most extraordinary wildlife spectacles on the planet, and the best part? You don't have to go far from shore to experience it.
Whether you're swimming alongside whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef, watching humpbacks breach off Augusta, or spotting southern right whales in the sheltered bays of Albany, WA, you'll find whale encounters that are simply unmatched anywhere in Australia.
Here's everything you need to plan your trip, including when to go, where to stay, and which tours to book before they sell out.
Whale Shark Season: March to July (Ningaloo Reef)
The season kicks off with one of the ocean's true bucket-list encounters. Every year from March to July, the world's largest fish, the gentle whale shark, gathers along the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth and Coral Bay, drawn by a mass coral spawning event that fills the water with food.
The 2026 whale shark season has already officially kicked off, with the first encounters confirmed off the coast of Exmouth. Sightings can extend all the way through to October in shoulder season, but peak encounters happen from March through July when you're almost guaranteed a swim.
This is not a passive experience. Licensed operators take small groups into the water to snorkel alongside these magnificent creatures, some up to 12 metres long in crystal-clear, shallow reef water. It's one of the few places in the world where this is even possible. Book your Whale Shark Tour from Exmouth through WA Holiday Guide.
Need somewhere to stay? Browse Exmouth accommodation and Coral Bay accommodation to find your base on the Coral Coast.
Humpback Whale Season: June to November
As whale shark season winds down, humpback season winds up, and WA transforms into one of the greatest humpback migration corridors on Earth.
Each year between July and October, around 40,000 humpbacks journey along the WA coastline on what locals call the "Humpback Highway". They travel from their Antarctic feeding grounds north to breed and give birth to their calves, then return south, giving WA two migration windows for sightings each season.
Best spots to see humpbacks in WA:
- Ningaloo (Exmouth & Coral Bay): Unique in WA for offering in-water humpback interactions, running from July to October. There is simply nowhere else in the state you can swim with them.
- Augusta (South West): Flinders Bay is one of the best land-based whale watching spots in the country, with whales resting close to shore from May to August.
- Dunsborough & Busselton: Whale watching charters operate from Geographe Bay from June onwards, with humpbacks regularly spotted just kilometres offshore.
- Albany: King George Sound hosts southern right whales calving in sheltered bays, with sightings from June through September.
Compare Whale Watching Charters in WA and secure your spot early.
Plan Your Whale Season Trip: Practical Tips
Book tours early. Whale shark and humpback swim tours run with strict passenger limits. The most popular dates, especially school holidays in Jul,y sell out months ahead. Don't leave this to the last minute.
Get the right base. For the Coral Coast, Exmouth is the main hub with the widest range of accommodation and tour operators, while Coral Bay is smaller, quieter, and closer to the reef. For South West whale watching, Margaret River region accommodation puts you within easy reach of Augusta and Dunsborough.
Hire a car. WA's whale hotspots are spread along a coastline larger than that of most countries. A hire car gives you the flexibility to combine Ningaloo with the North West, or pair a South West whale watching trip with a Margaret River wine tour. A campervan is also a brilliant option for multi-stop whale season road trips.
Shoulder season still delivers. If July and August are too busy or pricey, both whale species are still very much present in the spring. Humpbacks linger along the coast through November on their southern return, and whale shark sightings at Ningaloo regularly extend beyond the peak season with quieter conditions and better accommodation availability to match.
Ready to Book Your WA Whale Season Holiday?
Whether you're planning a family trip to swim with whale sharks, a romantic whale watching charter, or an epic coastal road trip timed to the migration, WA Holiday Guide's local team can help you put it all together.
Browse all WA Tours & Things to Do or enquire with our team for a personalised WA whale season itinerary.