Cruising the humpback highway

Published on 17 January 2024

They call it the humpback highway, but there are plenty of other marine mammals cruising Australia’s east coast during winter.

Lake Macquarie is recognised as one of the best places in NSW to see them all, thanks to the dramatic coastal cliffs that provide a perfect land-based vantage point, and the availability of top-notch whale-watching cruises right on our doorstep.

More than 35,000 humpbacks are expected to migrate north this year, searching out warmer waters for the annual breeding season.

Southern right whales, false killer whales (which actually aren’t whales at all but a species of large dolphin) and even elusive sei whales have also been spotted off the Lake Mac coast.

Read on for some of the best places in Lake Mac to catch a glimpse of these amazing animals.

Whales breaching off the Lake Macquarie coastline - photo courtesy of Coastxp

Awabakal Nature Reserve

This spot requires a 700m walk from the end of Ocean Street in Dudley (not to be confused with Ocean Street in Redhead), through beautiful coastal scrub along a track known as the Bluff Trail. It comes out onto an open patch with sweeping views up the coast to Port Stephens. As one of the highest points along the Hunter Region’s coastline, it’s a great place to watch whales migrate.

Whale watching at Awabakal Nature Reserve (2).jpg

Spoon Rocks Lookout

This coastal lookout is a short drive south of Caves Beach, with a fire trail off Spoon Rocks Road leading to the elevated lookout. Down below is Spoon Rocks, a 500m spoon-shaped breakwater once used to load coal mined from underground seams nearby. If the whales aren’t breaching, there’s also an unpatrolled beach, where the breakwater provides shelter from the swell.

Whales breaching off the Lake Macquarie coastline - photo courtesy of CoastXP (2).jpg

Wallarah National Park

Those with a little more spring in their step can continue past Spoon Rocks Lookout into Wallarah National Park, where a coastal walking track offers Insta-worthy vistas and views of migrating whales at every turn. The 5km round-trip leads to Pinny Beach, a 250m stretch of unpatrolled sand popular for fishing and surfing.

Wallarah National Park

Catherine Hill Bay

Another elevated position, this one at the south-eastern end of the City, ‘Catho’ is unique for its views not just of the coast and passing whales, but the 240m jetty above the beach’s southern end. Catho Pub just back from the beach is the perfect place to unwind after a hard day’s whale-watching, and the heritage-listed village is also worthy of a stroll if the whales aren’t close to shore.

Catherine Hill Bay beach

Whale-watching cruises

For a much closer encounter, CoastXP offers daily whale-watching cruises off the Lake Mac coast between May and October. The two-hour expeditions follow national guidelines for whale and dolphin-watching, keeping their distance as the mammals migrate.

Whales breaching off the Lake Macquarie coastline - photo courtesy of CoastXP

Photo courtesy of CoastXP.

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