Springtime Whales at Frenchman’s Rock!

📅 Sunday 6 September 2026 – AM & PM

With recent reports of a Southern Right Whale mother and calf pair around Port Elliot, both of today’s Southern Ocean Adventure tours headed east to see if we could find them.

And we did! On both departures, we located mum and her calf near Frenchman’s Rock, just beyond Port Elliot.

During our encounters, the whales became curious and began moving towards The Big Duck. With the whales choosing to close the distance, we slowly backed away to give them plenty of space and allow them to continue behaving naturally. We enjoyed observing the pair before leaving them behind and continuing with the remainder of our tour.

It was fantastic to have whale sightings on both departures today, particularly as we move towards the tail-end of the 2026 whale season.

With the arrival of warmer spring weather and ocean temperatures beginning to rise, it won’t be too long before we start saying goodbye to our winter visitors. Our Southern Right Whale mothers and their growing calves will eventually leave the sheltered nursery waters of Encounter Bay and begin their journey south towards the cooler, nutrient-rich waters surrounding Antarctica.

There’s still time to catch a glimpse of these magnificent visitors – but the season won’t last forever! If whale watching is on your winter wish list, now is the time to join us and make the most of the final weeks of the season. 🐋💙