By Mika Peters
EACH year, as the weather cools in Victoria, humpback whales begin one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom. After spending the 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.
Scientists believe migration is triggered by a combination of changing water temperatures, daylight hours, food availability, and instinctive memory passed through generations.
EACH year, as the weather cools in Victoria, humpback whales begin one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom. After spending the 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.
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 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. Every season brings new surprises along the Bass Coast.
The whales we encounter are mainly spotted along the southern coastline of Phillip Island, particularly around Seal Rocks, Pyramid Rock, Cape Woolamai and off the Powlett River.
Whales can be sighted a few kilometres 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.
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, which is free to download. Sightings are also compiled on the Phillip Island Whale Map.
The whales we encounter are mainly spotted along the southern coastline of Phillip Island, particularly around Seal Rocks, Pyramid Rock, Cape Woolamai and off the Powlett River.
Whales can be sighted a few kilometres 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.
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, which is free to download. Sightings are also compiled on the Phillip Island Whale Map.
Phillip Island Whale Map: Sightings along Bass Coast.
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.
Mika Peters works for Wildlife Coast Cruises.
Mika Peters works for Wildlife Coast Cruises.