HUMPBACK WHALES
These gentle giants visit Australia every winter!
SPECIES DETAILS
Scientific name:
Megaptera novaeangliae
Habitat:
Open ocean but are coastal during their annual breeding migration season
Population:
135,000, as low as 5,000 in the 1960’s (Australia: Pre-whaling 54,000, low point <200, now 70,000)
Conservation status:
Least Concern were listed as Endangered (Protected in Australia)
Australian distribution:
All states & Northern Territory
INFORMATION
Every winter, between June and October, humpback whales, from the cold polar winters to warmer tropical waters to give birth to their calves and mate.
The most famous Australian humpback often seen on the Australian east coast is an albino named “Migaloo”.
Humpback whales are baleen whales and can grow to up to 17 meters (56’) in length, weigh 40 tonne (44 tn).
They are capable of speeds up to 27 kilometres per hour (17 mph) and can live for over 50 years.
Their diet, consumed during the polar summer and autumn season, includes krill, copepods, plankton and small fish.
Humpbacks were almost reduced to extinction during the twentieth century when over 200,000 were killed by whaler hunters.
Since the 1960’s whaling bans, the population has recovered from around 5,000 to over 135,000!
The annual Exmouth congregation of over 40,000 humpbacks is the world’s largest!
Snorkelling with these ocean goliaths is nothing short of exhilarating!
Interactions with humpback whales are seasonal, please check with the local dive services provider.
Exmouth Humpback Whales is one of Australia’s 50 Great Dives! READ MORE
Special thanks to Simon Buckingham of Three Islands Whale Shark Dive.
Copyright © 2025 Steve Sinclair
DIVE DETAILS
Check with local dive services provider
2026 GREAT AUSTRALIAN DIVE CHALLENGE
Dive Registration
To register this dive for validation, go to: www.50greatdives.com.
NOTE: Entrants should do this dive with one of the following preferred dive services.
DIVE SERVICES
QUEENSLAND
Hervey Bay
DIVE HERVEY BAY +61 (0) 481 776 001
Rainbow Beach
WOLF ROCK DIVE CENTRE +61 (7) 5486 8004
Sunshine Coast
SUNREEF +61 (7) 5444 5656
NEW SOUTH WALES
Coffs Harbour
JETTY DIVE +61 (2) 6651 1611
Jervis Bay
DIVE JERVIS BAY +61 (2) 4441 5255
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
DIVE TRAVEL SERVICES
