Guide · Compared

Orca tours from Bremer Bay and the rest of the WA whale coast

Of the trips compared here, only the canyon boats from Bremer Bay go out for killer whales, but Western Australia has whales somewhere almost all year. Here is how the trips compare, month by month.

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Editorial team, bremer-bay-orcas.comUpdated October 24, 2026Read time: 6 min32 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

At a glance

01For orcas: Two 8-hour canyon trips leave the Bremer Bay boat harbour.
02Orca months: Canyon tours run from mid-January to mid-April.¹
03Humpbacks: An estimated 45,000 migrate along the WA coast from May to December.²
04Short trips: Fremantle and the South West offer cruises of 2 to 2.5 hours.
05Swimming: Licensed swims with humpbacks are allowed only at Ningaloo.³

The two orca boats at Bremer Bay

For killer whales, two listings on GetYourGuide head out to the Bremer Canyon. The booked expedition is rated 4.93 from 147 reviews, lasts 8 hours and starts from $280. It sails on the Alison Maree from the Bremer Bay boat harbour, with a marine biologist on board and food and drinks included.

The other is the Bremer Canyon Orca Experience, which also meets at the Bremer Bay Boat Harbour and also lasts 8 hours. It is rated 4.75 from 47 reviews and starts from $280 as well. Its listing mentions live commentary, a purpose-built whale watching vessel and all-day grazing with hot and cold lunch options.

Both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before. With the same length and the same starting price, the choice comes down to ratings, dates and which boat has space. Either way, whale watching from Bremer Bay in season means a long, full day far offshore.

The whale year

A calendar of whales around Western Australia

January to April

Orcas at Bremer Bay

Canyon tours from mid-January to mid-April.¹
March to May

Blue whales off Perth

Feeding on krill 50 km from the city.⁴
June to October

Albany's harbours

Humpbacks and southern right whales.⁵
June to November

Ningaloo

Humpbacks on the reef coast.⁶
September to November

Perth and Busselton

Tours depart at the migration peak.⁷

Humpbacks along the whole coast

Humpbacks are the backbone of whale watching in Western Australia. Tourism WA estimates that 45,000 humpback whales migrate along the coastline from May to December.² The federal species profile says the western population is larger than the eastern one, with estimates of about 26,100 to 28,830 whales in 2008.⁸

Their journey is long. Australia's humpbacks travel between tropical breeding areas and Antarctic feeding areas.⁹ The western migration path generally runs within 200 km of shore, which brings the whales past almost every coastal town.¹⁰ DBCA, the state parks service, says humpback, southern right and blue whales migrate along the Western Australian coast between May and December each year.¹¹

This recovery is recent. The species profile says both Australian humpback populations are recovering after a near collapse caused by whaling in the 1950s and 1960s.¹² The west coast population is thought to be growing at between 9.7 and 13% a year.¹³

Time on the water

How long the whale trips last, in hours

hrs

Durations as each GetYourGuide listing states them.

Month by month

Where to see whales in Western Australia

Place	Main whales	Months	Trip length
Bremer Bay	Orcas	Mid-Jan to mid-Apr	8 hours
Perth Canyon	Blue whales	March to May	Not given
Albany	Humpbacks & southern rights	June to October	3 hours
Perth & Fremantle	Humpbacks	September to November	2 hours
Ningaloo	Humpbacks	June to November	3 hours
Broome	Humpbacks	July to September	4.5 hours

Months from Tourism WA and DBCA; trip lengths from the GetYourGuide listings named on this page.¹ ⁴ ⁵ ¹⁴ ⁶ ¹⁵

Compared

The canyon boats and a South West cruise

Most reviewed

Killer whale expedition

Bremer Bay boat harbour

Length: 8 hours
Rating: 4.93 from 147
On board: Marine biologist

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Same canyon

Canyon orca experience

Bremer Bay Boat Harbour

Length: 8 hours
Rating: 4.75 from 47
On board: Live commentary

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Whale Watching Cruise from Busselton, Augusta or Dunsborough

Short and easy

South West humpbacks

Busselton, Augusta, Dunsborough

Length: 2 to 2.5 hours
Rating: 4.79 from 341
No whales: Repeat tour

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Decision helper

Which whale trip fits your plans

Choose by animal, season and time

Bremer Bay canyon trip

The canyon boats run from mid-January to mid-April.¹

Perth in autumn

Blue whales feed off Perth from March to May.⁴

A Fremantle cruise

It lasts 2 hours.

Ningaloo, licensed only

The only place in WA where in-water humpback interactions are licensed.³

Albany

Whales are in its harbours from June to October.⁵

Albany and the south coast

Albany, just under two hours by car west of Bremer Bay, is a whale town of its own.¹⁶ Tourism WA says humpback and southern right whales are in Albany's harbours from June to October.⁵ It also says southern right and humpback whales are often spotted in King George Sound between July and October.¹⁷

A newer listing offers a 3-hour whale watching tour from Albany with a small group of 12 passengers, passing Mistaken Island, Gull Rock, Seal Island and the old whaling station in Frenchman Bay. It starts from $91. Ashore, the Historic Whaling Station at Frenchman Bay keeps the whale chaser Cheynes IV, and its ticket starts from $26.

That station has a story worth knowing before you go whale watching. On 21 November 1978 the last whale chasers berthed at the Albany Town Jetty, and the last shore-based whaling station in Australia closed after 178 years of whaling in Albany waters.¹⁸ Further east, Tourism WA says the bays around Esperance host southern right whales and their calves from June to October.¹⁹

Map

Bremer Bay, the marine park and the south coast

The town and the Bremer Marine Park offshore, the coast from Albany to Esperance, and the long drive down from Perth.

Map of Bremer Bay on the south coast of Western Australia with the Bremer Marine Park offshore and Fitzgerald River National Park to the north-east — Bremer Bay and the marine park

Map of the south coast of Western Australia from Albany past Bremer Bay and Hopetoun to Esperance, with Jerramungup inland — The south coast

Map of south-western Australia with Perth, Albany, Bremer Bay and Esperance — From Perth

1
Bremer Bay
A town of 424 people at the mouth of the Bremer River.²⁰ ²¹
In Google Maps ↗
2
Bremer Marine Park
Holds the Bremer Canyon, which Tourism WA puts 70 km offshore from the town.²² ¹
In Google Maps ↗
3
Fitzgerald River National Park
Home to 75 plant species found nowhere else, with whale platforms at Point Ann.²³ ²⁴
In Google Maps ↗
4
Albany
Just under two hours by car west of Bremer Bay.¹⁶
In Google Maps ↗
5
Jerramungup
A stop at Lions Park on the Transwa coach line between East Perth and Esperance.²⁵
In Google Maps ↗
6
Hopetoun
The Fitzgerald Biosphere Reserve stretches between here and Bremer Bay.²⁶
In Google Maps ↗
7
Esperance
Rex runs daily flights between Esperance and Perth.²⁷
In Google Maps ↗
8
Perth
5.5 to 6.5 hours by road from Bremer Bay, depending on the Tourism WA page.¹⁶ ²¹
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Price calculator

What a whale day costs your group

Pick a trip and the number of people

Bremer orca expedition8 hoursfrom $280 Canyon orca experience8 hoursfrom $280 Albany whale tour3 hoursfrom $91 Fremantle whale cruise2 hoursfrom $77

People 2

Total from$559

per head from $280

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Each total is a trip's lowest GetYourGuide fare times the number of guests you pick, shown in your currency using European Central Bank figures; your chosen date sets the real amount at checkout.

Video

Whale watching, camping and beaches from Albany to Esperance

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The South West capes and Geographe Bay

The capes south of Perth are a classic spring stop. Tourism WA says humpbacks, southern rights and even blue whales pass Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste, heading north from May or returning south from September to December.²⁸ DBCA says blue whales have been seen in Geographe Bay, particularly in November.²⁹

Two listings work these waters. A cruise from Busselton, Augusta or Dunsborough lasts 2 to 2.5 hours, is rated 4.79 from 341 reviews and starts from $67. Its listing offers a complimentary repeat tour if no whales are seen. A Dunsborough trip spends 2.5 hours in Geographe Bay and starts from $74.

These are short, relaxed outings close to beaches and wineries, a very different day from the long canyon run. Families with younger children may find them easier, since the booked canyon expedition is not suitable for children under 10. If your trip covers the whole south-west, they make a good contrast to the Bremer orcas, though they run in other months, so check both seasons before you plan one trip around them.

Perth, Fremantle and the blue whales

From the capital you can watch whales without a long drive. DBCA says whale-watching charters leave from Hillarys at the peak of the humpback migration, from September to November.³⁰ Tourism WA says humpbacks can be seen off Perth's coast and around Rottnest Island in those months.¹⁴

A 2-hour cruise from Fremantle is rated 4.81 from 459 reviews and starts from $77. A cruise from Hillarys Boat Harbour lasts 2 to 4 hours and starts from $55; its listing says sightings cannot be guaranteed and offers the next available tour at no extra cost if no whales are seen.

Blue whales come surprisingly close to the city. Tourism WA says that from March to May endangered blue whales gorge on krill just 50 km from Perth.⁴ Parks Australia calls the autumn gathering in the Perth Canyon Marine Park the largest gathering of these whales in Australia.³¹

Ningaloo and Broome in the north

The north coast is where the humpbacks end their journey. DBCA says humpbacks are at Ningaloo from June to November.⁶ Tourism WA says whales are seen at Broome from July to September.¹⁵ The Kimberley coast is the final destination for most humpbacks, and Camden Sound is the most significant humpback nursery in the southern hemisphere.³²

Ningaloo is also the only place in Western Australia where licensed swims with humpbacks are allowed, in the State waters of Ningaloo Marine Park and the Muiron Islands.³ A listing from Coral Bay offers an 8-hour day of swimming with humpback whales and snorkelling at two reef sites, from $463.

For a gentler outing, a 3-hour Coral Bay whale watching trip starts from $126. In Broome, a whale watching and sunset cruise lasts 4.5 hours and starts from $137. These are winter trips, so they never clash with the Bremer orca months.

Putting a whale year together

The seasons fit together like a calendar. Orcas off Bremer Bay come first, with canyon tours from mid-January to mid-April.¹ Blue whales feed off Perth from March to May.⁴ Southern rights and humpbacks fill Albany's harbours from June to October.⁵

Spring belongs to the west coast, with tours from Perth and Busselton between September and November.⁷ In the north, Ningaloo has humpbacks from June to November.⁶ Whatever month you travel, some part of the state has whales.

Only the canyon trips are about killer whales, though. If orcas are your goal, plan around the Bremer Bay season and book early, because only a few months each year offer the canyon trips. Everything else on this page is a bonus you can add before or after.

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