Orcas make a splash in unforgettable whale season

Phillip Island’s organised 2026 whale-cruise season has come to an end, but all is not lost for those who missed the action.

There’s still an opportunity to spot the migrating giants further along the South Gippsland coast.

Wildlife Coast Cruises confirmed its Phillip Island whale season had finished for the year following the final local tours on Sunday, August 9.

The winter season gave people the chance to see animals like migrating humpbacks, southern right whales, dolphins, Australian fur seals and seabirds.

The period between mid-May and September is when whales can be seen around Phillip Island, with June and July being the peak season, as humpbacks are travelling north from the cold waters of Antarctica towards warmer breeding and calving grounds off Queensland.

Over the course of their journey, humpbacks can regularly be seen breaching, spy-hopping, tail-slapping or moving through the water, and they can travel alone or in pods, sometimes passing within a couple hundred metres of the Phillip Island coastline.

Wildlife Coast Cruises estimates between 100 and 200 whales are sighted around the island during a typical migration season.

However, southern right whales are far less common, and usually less than 12 are recorded around Phillip Island in a season. They tend to move through shallow coastal waters though, which can make for some great viewing opportunities when they appear.

Killer whales also made an appearance this season, as a pod of orcas was sighted off the Coast of Phillip Island in late May.

Videos shared by Wildlife Coast Cruises throughout the 2026 season also showed humpbacks travelling along the Phillip Island coastline.

Even though the organised Phillip Island whale cruises have concluded, the broader migration is far from over.

Whale watching opportunities are expected to continue around Wilsons Promontory into November, as humpbacks begin their journey south.

Unlike the northern migration, when whales are often heading towards breeding grounds, the return journey can include mothers travelling with their calves, and small pods could also stop to feed among schools of baitfish before continuing towards Antarctic waters.

Wilsons Promontory whale cruises depart from Port Welshpool and operate daily during the season, subject to weather conditions and minimum passenger numbers.

Humpbacks make up the majority of the sighted whales, although southern right whales and dolphins can also be encountered.

Wildlife Coast Cruises estimates passengers have a 90 per cent chance of seeing whales.

The cruises aren’t a necessity though, and for those hoping to see whales from land, you can still monitor the coastline and recent sightings through the Wildlife Whales application.

The end of the Phillip Island season doesn’t mean the final whale has passed. Instead, the attention now shifts towards Wilsons Promontory as the migration continues and whales gradually turn for the long journey back to Antarctica.