The whale season at a glance
Humpbacks pass the Central Coast twice a year: north to the Great Barrier Reef in winter, then back south to Antarctica in spring with their new calves. Darker blue means a better chance from a boat. Tap any half-month for details.
This weekend
The seasonal outlook adjusted for the forecast morning wind, swell and rain. Early morning is usually calmest and best.
Where to go
High headlands give you the widest view. Bring binoculars, look for the blow first, then watch for tails and breaches. Boat tours get you much closer and most offer a free return trip if you miss out.
What you might see
Humpbacks are the headline act, but the Central Coast gets regular dolphin pods all year and the odd rare visitor.
Recent sightings
Whale and dolphin sightings between Swansea and Broken Bay, posted by locals to iNaturalist. Updated hourly.
Seen something? Post your sighting on iNaturalist and it will show up here.
Watch responsibly
NSW law sets minimum approach distances for whales and dolphins. They apply to boats, kayaks, paddleboards, swimmers and drones.
How these scores work
The outlook scores are modelled estimates, not guarantees. We built the seasonal baseline from the timing of thousands of whale and dolphin records on the Central Coast and the wider Sydney to Newcastle coast (GBIF and the Atlas of Living Australia), checked against published migration research and NSW National Parks guidance. Sighting records rise when more people are looking, so they tell us about timing more than numbers.
For the next 7 days we adjust the score using the forecast for the first three hours after sunrise: stronger wind and bigger waves make whales harder to spot and can cancel boat trips, and rain cuts visibility. A score of 90 means an excellent chance on a typical 2 hour boat trip in those conditions. From land it depends a lot on your spot and your patience.