3 Hr Whale Watching Discovery Cruise in Sydney

On this outing we were able to see whales. Which is great. However I got seasick and only saw one whale breach because I was vomiting most of the time. I'm giving a five because we did get whales but most importantly the crew were checking on this who did get sick.

We took the 3-hour whale watching cruise from Circular Quay on 16July2023. Here's why this experience gets a 3 rating from us: The Good: - The boat arrived and departed on time - The boat was clean and appeared to be well-maintained - There was space for everyone; it started to rain as we departed Circular Quay, and most people who were on the open top deck went downstairs to sit inside or stand at the back of the boat, which is covered - The boat is fast and we quickly made our way out of Sydney Harbour and into the open ocean - The crew spotted 2 humpback whales within 15 minutes (actually, there were other whale watching boats who had spotted them and we followed along) - We were able to get fairly close to the whales as they swam The Things-That-Could-Be-Improved: - The sound system didn't work outside, so anyone who was standing at the back of the boat or on the top deck couldn't hear any of the announcements - There were no guides on board, and no one was walking around talking to the guests, so there was no way to ask questions or find out what was said during the announcements - We spotted 2 whales quickly, but they were the only 2 whales we saw, since our boat stayed next to those same 2 whales for around 90 minutes. Other whale watching tours were there for part of the time, but they all peeled off to go spot other whales. It's whale migration season. Surely there were more whales out there than just those two. (We can't imagine that the whales were very happy having a boat right next to them for the better part of 90 minutes.) - Because the boat was just bobbing up and down in the water most of the time (vs. using the engine to travel at a greater speed across the water to look for...oh I don't know...maybe some other whales...), there were many many people getting seasick. (Luckily that didn't happen to any of us.) Obviously, it's not Fantasea's fault if people get seasick, but if they had been motoring to look for other whales, the motion of the boat would have been greatly reduced. - Our 3-hour tour lasted 2.5 hours Overall, we had a good time because it's just fun to be out on the water on a boat...and the whales were a huge bonus. If you're OK with a "tour" where they provide transport to the ocean and point out a couple of whales, but you're basically on your own, this "tour" could be for you. If you want the opportunity to learn about the whales and some of Sydney Harbour's landmarks, skip this one and try one of the other companies offering what seems to be the same thing.

At one point, a whale dove up in front of out boat, then flipped its fluke whilst going back under. We saw btwn 1-2 dozen whales. The crew were good at pointing out where to look and accessible. They also provided practical information, particularly about the Eastern suburbs.