At the top of the food chain, orcas are commonly spotted in the seas of Western Australia between January to April each year. Five hours south-east of Perth, The Bremer Bay Canyon is a hive of killer whale activity, and orca-watching tours headed for 70 kilometres off the coast offer a 90% sighting rate.
Orca tours Bremer Bay are just a short trip south from Perth, Western Australia. Enjoy a day of sightseeing and take a five hour drive south from Perth, or fly to Albany and drive just 2 hours to arrive in the peaceful town of Bremer Bay. This is the only place in Australia where there are reliable sightings of Orcas.
No key localities are known for Killer Whales within continental Australian waters, however, all populations are considered important for the species' long-term survival.
You can see orcas in Seattle, Washington and the surrounding areas year round. But summer between May and September are the best times to kayak with orcas. That's because their food source, salmon, is most active around this time.
Known contradictorily as killer whales and sea pandas, about 200 cute but deadly orcas are drawn to Bremer Bay, Western Australia, every summer. They come to hunt, feed and frolic in a deep-sea canyon, 24 nautical miles (45 kilometres) off the isolated south-west coast.
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are lured to the Sunshine Coast's waters during the winter months thanks to the abundance of food on offer…with a favourite being the humpback and minke whales!
More than 40,000 whales make their way along the NSW coast on their northern migration, known as the Humpback Highway, from May to November each year. Humpback and southern right whales are the most commonly sighted, but you may also spot orcas, blue whales, minke whales and sperm whales.
Orcas – informally referred to as killer whales because of their fearsome reputation – are majestic mammals found in Australian waters between the months of June and October on the east coast, and January to April on the west.
While they are most abundant in colder waters like Antarctica, Norway, and Alaska, they are also found in tropical and subtropical waters. The most well-studied killer whale populations occur in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Resident killer whales have been seen from California to Russia.
They usually swim a little slower and stick to the shoreline on their migration back south. In NSW, it's common to see humpback whales, southern right whales and dolphins, but you may also spot orcas, blue whales, minke whales and sperm whales.
To the Nuu-chah-nulth of western Vancouver Island the killer whale, or kakaw'in, is the enforcer of the sea. As with other coastal First Nations, they believe that killer whales can embody the souls of deceased chiefs. The names go on and on, as varied as the Indigenous cultures who use them.
Travel along Victoria's spectacular southern coastline and watch humpback whales, southern right whales, blue whales and orcas as they make their annual pilgrimage from the feeding grounds of Antarctica to give birth and raise their calves in Australia's warmer waters.
Bremer Bay is located 5 hours south east of Perth, Western Australia in the pristine Great Southern. It is from this beautiful township we journey to the edge of the continental shelf to discover the oceans apex predator, the Bremer Bay Orca (Killer Whales).
Majestic mammals and marine wildlife abound in the waters surrounding Victoria, including the orca, or killer whale, and gray, humpback, and minke whales. Other aquatic neighbours include sea lions, seals, porpoise and many marine birds.
Southern Hemisphere
These large orcas (up to 31 feet, or 9.5m long) prefer the open areas of the Southern Ocean and primarily hunt minke whales, following their migration in and out of Antarctic waters. Also called Pack Ice orcas, they forage for seals in the loose pack ice around the Antarctic continent.
Is it safe to swim or dive with Orcas? Yes, however, you have to be very cautious, because they are still wild animals and need attention all the time. Orcas owe their name “killer whale” to the early whalers Because they apparently attacked and killed all other animals, even the largest whales.
Because of their intelligence and social nature, orca whales are unlikely to attack humans out of aggression or hostility. In fact, there have been numerous instances of orca whales coming to the aid of humans who were in danger, such as when a group of orca whales helped a diver escape from a shark attack.
The whales seem to understand people, and are eager to cooperate and create bonds. In fact, the only apparent instances of orcas attacking people have happened at aquatic parks, where the whales have killed trainers. Many experts think these attacks are not malicious, rather a case of play getting out of hand.
What types of whales are found in South Australia? Most SA whale sightings are southern right whales and occasionally humpback whales. Toothed whales such as sperm whales, pilot whales and orcas are around, but are usually found further offshore.
Sea World on the Gold Coast is owned and operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks, a division of Village Roadshow Limited. SeaWorld properties in the United States are an unrelated company. Sea World on the Gold Coast has never and would never house Killer Whales.
Other whales seen in Tasmanian waters include orcas, long-finned pilot whales and sperm whales. Whales are regularly spotted on ocean trips along the east coast, such as those run by Wineglass Bay Cruises, Wild Ocean Tasmania and Tasman Island Cruises.
Shore-based Whale Watching: Spend an afternoon at Lime Kiln Point State Park, a 36 acre day use park on the west side of San Juan Island considered one of the best places in the world to view orca whales from shore.
Whales have entered the harbour on several occasions over the last 15 years, but sightings inside the harbour itself are scarce. Two humpbacks entered Sydney Harbour and took a rest at Rose Bay in 2012. In 2012, a Southern Right whale was playing off Middle Head and 2013 off Bondi, we have even seen one in Botany Bay.
Contrary to their name, they are in fact a species of dolphin and not a whale. They have a menacing sharp set of teeth up to 10 centimetres long and weigh up to six tonnes. Orcas generally migrate further offshore from the Gold Coast and are unlikely to be encountered so close to the city.