Guide · On board

Seasickness on an orca tour, and how to beat it

The canyon lies far out in the Southern Ocean, and the swell can be big. What causes motion sickness, what actually helps, and what to bring for a long day on deck.

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Editorial team, bremer-bay-orcas.comUpdated October 24, 2026Read time: 6 min13 sources

The tour for this guide Bremer Canyon orca expedition from Bremer Bay 4.9 (147 reviews) 8 hoursMarine biologist on boardMorning tea, lunch and afternoon tea from$280per person Check availabilityCancel for free up to 24 hrs ahead

What helps most

01Take tablets early: Medication works best before you sail, not after symptoms start.¹
02The operator agrees: Seasickness tablets are highly recommended for the booked trip.
03Look outside: Watching the horizon and sipping water help, says the CDC.²
04Skip the drinks: Alcohol and smoking make motion sickness worse.³
05Pack warm: Bring warm clothing and comfortable shoes, as the listing asks.

Why the canyon trip tests your stomach

The orcas live far offshore. Tourism WA places the canyon 70 kilometres from Bremer Bay, out where the swell of the Southern Ocean rolls in unbroken.⁴ The booked expedition cruises around 1.5 hours to get there and spends 8 hours at sea in all. That is a long time on a moving deck, even on a calm day.

The operator is frank about it: its listing says seasickness tablets are highly recommended, and it asks you to bring motion sickness prevention along with warm clothing and comfortable shoes. Treat that as a firm instruction, not a polite suggestion. People who have never felt seasick on a ferry may still struggle out here.

None of this should put you off. Feeling queasy for an hour is a small price for a day with wild orcas, and good preparation takes most of the risk away. The rest of this guide is about that preparation: understanding the cause, choosing your remedy, and packing for a long, cool, bright day.

Step by step

Staying well from the night before to the harbour

The night before

Sleep, no alcohol

Alcohol increases motion sickness.³
Breakfast

Eat light

Small amounts of food often help.²
At the harbour

Take your tablet

It works best before exposure.¹
Cruising out

Watch the horizon

The trip out takes around 1.5 hours.
Back on land

Rest

Any rocking feeling usually fades within hours.⁵

What causes motion sickness

The CDC explains motion sickness simply: it happens when the movement you see is different from what your inner ear senses, and it can bring dizziness, nausea and vomiting, including on a boat.⁶ Below deck, staring at a screen or a book, your eyes say you are still while your balance organs feel every roll.

Not everyone is equally prone. Age plays a part: the CDC Yellow Book says it is unusual below the age of 2, and that the risk climbs to a peak between 7 and 12.⁷ The booked expedition is not suitable for children under 10 in any case, nor for pregnant women or wheelchair users.

Once you are back on land the feeling usually fades quickly. Some people keep a rocking sensation for a while after a long voyage; the Yellow Book says this is normally brief, rarely involves nausea and resolves within a few hours or less.⁵ Plan an easy evening after the trip all the same.

Dress for it

Average daily high in the orca months, °C

°C

Bureau of Meteorology averages for Hopetoun North; the deck feels cooler in wind and spray.⁸

The evidence

Seasickness remedies and what the CDC says

Remedy	CDC verdict	Tip
Tablets	Best before exposure	Take them at the harbour
Getting used to it	Most effective of all	Slow to acquire
Horizon and water	Recommended	Stay on the open deck
Ginger, vitamins	Weak evidence	Not a substitute
Acupressure bands	No better than placebo	Do not rely on them

Summaries of the CDC Yellow Book and CDC travel health advice on motion sickness.¹ ⁹ ² ¹⁰ ¹¹

Decision helper

How to prepare, by how prone you are

Match the plan to your stomach

I get sick in cars I worry about drowsiness I have never been seasick I am travelling with a child I love a drink on holiday

Take tablets, sit outside

Medication works best before you set off.¹

Ask about the medicine type

Some medicines are more sedating than others.¹²

Take tablets anyway

The operator highly recommends them.

Check the age limit

The trip is not suitable for children under 10.

Save it for after

Alcohol increases motion sickness.³

Individuals should be advised that medication is most effective when taken before exposure, rather than after the onset of symptoms.

CDC Yellow Book 2024Source 1

Medication: timing is everything

The single most useful fact about seasickness tablets is when to take them. Per the CDC Yellow Book, a motion sickness tablet works best swallowed ahead of the motion, not after the queasiness has set in.¹ Swallow your tablet before the boat leaves the harbour, following the packet or your pharmacist's advice on timing and dose.

Different medicines make you sleepy to different degrees. The Yellow Book notes that scopolamine is slightly less sedating than dimenhydrinate or meclizine, while promethazine is the most sedating.¹² A drowsy passenger misses sightings, so ask a pharmacist or doctor which option suits you before the trip, and try it at home first if you can.

The best cure of all is slow to earn. The Yellow Book calls habituation, getting used to the motion, the most effective countermeasure, more than any medication, though it can take time to acquire.⁹ For a one-day trip that rarely helps, which is why the tablets matter.

Packing list

Your bag for 8 hours at sea

Wear

Warm layers and a windproof jacket
Comfortable shoes with grip
A hat that stays on in the wind

Bring

Seasickness tablets, taken before you sail
Sunscreen and polarised sunglasses
A dry bag for your phone and battery

Leave behind

Swimwear: swimming is not allowed
Alcohol the night before
A packed lunch: food is included

Video

Killer whales in Australia: an orca tour at Bremer Bay

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What helps without tablets

Some simple habits make a real difference. The CDC suggests lying down, shutting your eyes, sleeping or looking at the horizon, staying hydrated, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and eating small amounts of food often.² On deck, the horizon trick is the easiest: find the line where sea meets sky and keep returning to it.

Avoid what makes it worse. The Yellow Book says alcohol and smoking should be avoided because they increase motion sickness.³ Skip the drinks the night before, sleep well, and eat a light breakfast. The booked trip includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea with unlimited hot and cold drinks, so small regular snacks are easy.

Be careful with popular remedies. The Yellow Book says diets, supplements, vitamins and ginger have only weak and contradictory evidence.¹⁰ It adds that, in laboratory trials, acupressure bands and similar treatments worked no better than placebo.¹¹ They will not hurt, but do not rely on them alone.

What to bring on an orca tour

Start with the operator's own list: comfortable shoes, warm clothing and motion sickness prevention. Shoes with good grip matter on a wet deck. For clothing, think in layers: a base layer, a fleece or wool sweater, and a windproof, waterproof jacket you can zip up when the spray flies.

The air is warmer than you might fear in the orca months, but the deck is not. At the Hopetoun North station January averages a high of 25.2 °C and a low of 15.3 °C.⁸ By April the average high is 23.2 °C.⁸ Out at sea, wind and spray make it feel cooler, and you will spend hours standing still watching the water.

Sun protection is not optional. Australia's radiation agency ARPANSA recommends sun-protective clothing, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and shade whenever the UV index is 3 or more.¹³ Add a hat that will not blow away, polarised sunglasses for the glare, and a small dry bag for your phone and spare battery.

Where to be on the boat

Where you stand changes how you feel. Fresh air and a view of the horizon are your allies, so spend as much time outside as the weather allows. Feeling off? Head outside, fix your gaze on the line of the sea and take small sips from your bottle.

Hold on whenever the boat moves. The skipper may turn quickly to follow a pod, and the swell can lift the deck without warning. Keep one hand for yourself and one for your camera, and sit down when the crew asks.

You do not have to fight for the perfect shot. The listing says photos and a daily blog from the expedition are e-mailed to you after the trip, which lets you watch the orcas instead of a screen. Looking through a camera for long stretches is one of the quickest ways to feel queasy, so let the crew handle the pictures.

If you do get sick

It can happen to anyone on a rough day, and the crew knows how to help. Tell a crew member early; they know where the calmest spot is and what helps. Move outside, keep looking at the horizon and take small sips of water.

Do not take more medication than the packet allows, and do not mix remedies without advice. If you feel unwell, rest rather than walking around the boat, and keep your hat and sunscreen on, since a long day in the sun makes everything worse.

Most of all, do not let a bad hour ruin the day. The orcas can appear at any moment, and a queasy morning can still turn into the day you remember. Prepare well, and you give yourself the best chance of enjoying it.

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