.png)
Can You Swim With Whales in Australia? How to do Ethical Whale swims
- Curtis Tredway
- 17 hours ago
- 14 min read
Right now, tens of thousands of humpbacks are making their way north along the Australian coast. The east coast migration builds through May and June and peaks late June into July, and every single year around this time the same message lands in our inbox: "Where can I swim with them?"
It's a great question. The problem is the internet gives you two terrible answers. Half of it says swimming with whales is flat-out banned and you'll cop a fine. The other half is selling you a fantasy of guaranteed encounters, where you will be freediving with humpback like it's a scene out of Avatar.
Both are wrong, and both will get you into trouble - legally, or with a wild animal that weighs more than your car.
So here's the honest version, from a freediving school that spends every winter in these waters. What's actually legal. When the whales are around. How a real, respectful encounter happens. And - the part most articles and operators skip - how to become the kind of ocean person who's calm and capable enough to be there for it when it does.
Because that's the truth nobody sells you: you don't chase whales, the whales choose you.
Want the short version? Deep Sensations Freediving runs guided, ethical whale swim experiences — most notably our Jervis Bay Whale Swim and Ningaloo Reef experiences
What Most People Get Wrong About Swimming With Whales
The biggest myth: that you can spot a spout, swim over, and hang out next to a humpback. You can't. Not legally in NSW, and not safely anywhere.
The reality lives all around the approach. You are not allowed to approach a whale. But whales are curious, intelligent animals, and sometimes they approach you. That single distinction is the entire game - and it's why your behaviour in the water matters more than your luck.
On ethical whale swim charters, the operator will usually spot the whales first, assess their behaviour, and only allow guests to enter the water if it is safe and appropriate. From there, you are typically dropped several hundred metres ahead of the whales and then you simply wait.
The rest of the encounter happens entirely on the whales’ terms. If they are curious, they may choose to close the distance and swim right past you. Other times, they might have no interest at all and pass just wide enough, or dive so that you can’t see them underwater. Even then, watching them from the surface, hearing their powerful breath up close, and feeling the sheer size of them nearby is an unforgettable experience in itself.
Is It Legal to Swim With Whales in Australia?
Short answer: you can legally be in the water during whale season, but you cannot approach a whale. The rules exist to protect the animals and you - a relaxed humpback is still 30-plus tonnes of wild muscle, and a stressed one is dangerous.
The NSW rules (as published — verify before you rely on them)
The NSW rules, as published at the time of writing, should always be checked before relying on them, as regulations can change.
In New South Wales, swimmers, snorkellers and divers may enter the water no closer than 100 metres from a whale. Once in the water, you must keep at least 30 metres from a whale, dolphin or dugong, including a calf.
If a whale, dolphin or dugong is mostly white in colour, you must stay at least 500 metres away at all times.
Extra care must also be taken around mothers and calves. NSW rules place stricter limits on vessels when calves are present, and ethical operators should avoid any situation that could disturb, pressure, block or interrupt the path of a whale, especially a mother and calf.
You are not allowed to chase, harass, touch, restrict the path of, or intentionally position yourself in a way that cuts off or intercepts a marine mammal. The encounter should always happen on the animal’s terms.
For vessels - boats, surfboards, surf skis, kayaks, SUPs - the minimum is 100 metres from a whale, and they must not enter the 300-metre caution zone when a calf is present. Jet skis and other prohibited craft must stay 300 metres clear. Drones have their own no-fly distances (100 metres for whales).
The principle underneath all of it never changes: you don't approach, you don't chase, you don't wait in front of them, and you never get between a mum and her calf. If a whale chooses to close the gap on its own terms, that's the whale's decision - and that's the only "swimming with whales" moment that's both legal and right.
📌 Important: These figures reflect NSW guidance and the EPBC Act framework as published, but state rules differ and do get updated. Lady Elliot Island sits in Queensland waters and Ningaloo is in Western Australia, each with their own regulations and permit systems. Always check the current rules for where you're actually diving before you go.
Where regulated in-water whale tours do exist
A handful of licensed operators run permitted in-water humpback swims in parts of Australia - Ningaloo Reef in WA being the famous one - under strict permits, set seasons and tight guidelines. On the NSW east coast it's far more controlled, which is exactly why how you get in the water, and who you do it with, makes all the difference.
Why Freedivers Have the Best Whale Encounters
Here's where freediving changes everything, and it's not about going deep.
A whale reads you. Splashing on the surface, kicking hard, breathing heavy and fast - to a whale, that reads as a clumsy, slightly panicked, predator-like thing. Most wildlife gives that a wide berth.
A calm freediver sends the opposite signal. Slow movements. Relaxed breathing. The ability to drop a few metres, hang quietly in the water column and just be still. That's when curious animals come closer to investigate - on their terms, which is the only way it should happen. Some of the best wildlife moments I've ever had came not from chasing anything, but from getting quiet and letting the ocean decide.
Some of my most magical humpback whale encounters have happened while line diving and running courses with students.
We weren’t out there looking for whales, and we definitely weren’t expecting an encounter. We were simply diving, staying calm, and doing our own thing. In my experience, that often creates the best kind of interaction, because there is no chasing, no pressure, and no attempt to force the moment. The whales get to choose whether they want to come closer.
Last year, we swam with more than 20 different humpbacks during our line diving sessions alone. A big part of that comes down to the sheer amount of time we spend in the water throughout the migration season, but it also shows how powerful these encounters can be when they happen naturally, respectfully, and entirely on the whales’ terms.
That's also why breath-hold and water confidence aren't just performance party tricks. They're what let you stay relaxed, present and safe when something the size of a bus glides past. Panic burns oxygen and spooks wildlife. Calm does the opposite — for the animal and for you.
Building that calm is exactly what our Beginner Freediver Course is for. More on that below.
Ethical Whale Encounters: The Rules We Actually Live By
This is the part we care about most, because it's where good intentions go sideways. Loving whales and harassing them can look identical from the surface if you don't know better. So here's how an ethical encounter actually works.
Let the whale come to you
You never swim at a whale. You hold your position, stay calm, and if the animal chooses to come closer, you let it - without diving, shouting, or chasing it as it moves off.
Read the animal, not your wishlist
A whale that changes direction, speeds up, tail-slaps, or is shielding a calf is telling you something. The respectful move is to give space, not get the shot. If your presence changes the animal's behaviour, you're too close.
Never get between a mother and calf
Calves are vulnerable and mothers are protective. Putting yourself in that gap is dangerous and illegal. Full stop.
Don't crowd, don't touch, don't feed, don't pursue
No touching, no riding, no blocking their path, no boats hemming them in. The whale's experience matters more than your photo.
Know that some days the answer is "not today"
Conditions, timing and animal behaviour all have a vote. A genuinely ethical operator will pull the pin on an in-water attempt when it isn't right — and that honesty is the thing you actually want from the people you go with.
What Beginners Should Know Before Whale Season
Good news: you do not need to be a deep diver to have an incredible whale season. Most genuine encounters happen at or near the surface. What you actually need is a handful of fundamentals.
Skills that make encounters better
Water confidence — so you're not fighting the conditions or your own nerves.
Relaxed breathing — the foundation of staying calm and reading a situation clearly.
A bit of breath-hold and duck diving — so you can drop down smoothly and hang still, instead of thrashing on the surface.
Equalisation — so going even a few metres down is comfortable, not stressful.
Buddy safety and open-water awareness — non-negotiable, every single time.
Calmness around marine life — knowing how to move in the ocean without chasing, grabbing or panicking.
These aren't advanced skills. They're exactly what we cover on day one of a freediving course — and they're the difference between "we saw a whale from the boat" and a moment you'll talk about for the rest of your life.
Not water-ready yet? Start with our Beginner Freediver Course, run across Sydney, Wollongong, Shellharbour, Cronulla, Jervis Bay and the wider South Coast. It's the foundation for everything else you'll do in the ocean.
Gear and conditions for an Australian winter
Whale season is winter, and NSW water gets cold. A good 5–7 mm wetsuit, hood, gloves and booties turn a miserable session into a great one. Eat well beforehand, get warm fast afterwards — thermos and dry clothes ready in the car. And get out the moment you start shivering; cold, tired and stressed is how people make bad calls in the water.
The Non-Negotiables
Whale encounters are incredible, but they are never worth compromising safety or the wellbeing of the animal.
Never freedive alone. Always dive with a buddy and use proper one-up-one-down procedures. Whale season also means more boat traffic, so a dive flag, surface awareness, and smart site selection matter even more.
If you are new to freediving, snorkelling, or ocean swimming, go with people who know the area, understand the conditions, and know how to behave around marine life. The ocean changes quickly, and so does whale behaviour.
The biggest non-negotiable, though, is choosing an ethical operator.
A good whale swim operator will not chase whales, cut them off, pressure them, or promise guaranteed in-water encounters. They will assess the animals’ behaviour first, follow the legal approach distances, brief guests properly, and make conservative calls when conditions or whale behaviour are not suitable.
The best operators understand that the encounter is not about getting the shot at all costs. It is about creating the safest possible situation where the whale still has full choice. If the whale wants to come closer, amazing. If it swims past, dives, changes direction, or wants nothing to do with you, that is the encounter.
That is what ethical whale swimming should be.
Common Mistakes That Ruin Whale Encounters
The mistakes I see every season are predictable, which means they are avoidable.
Chasing whales. People see a fin and start swimming flat-out towards it. It is illegal, pointless, and honestly the fastest way to ruin the moment. You are not going to out-swim a humpback. All you are doing is putting pressure on the animal and making it less likely to come near you.
Choosing the wrong operator. This is a big one. If an operator is promising guaranteed swims, encouraging people to get as close as possible, ignoring approach distances, or putting the shot before the animal, that is a red flag. A proper operator should be willing to say no, even when guests are excited.
Going alone. Treating a whale encounter like a casual swim is a mistake. You should always dive or snorkel with a buddy, especially in winter, offshore conditions, or areas with boat traffic.
Overestimating your water confidence. If you are stressed, cold, tired, or uncomfortable in the water, you are not going to enjoy the encounter properly. You are also more likely to make poor decisions, burn energy, and create unnecessary movement that scares wildlife away.
Ignoring distance rules. Edging inside the legal limits, drifting too close, or getting anywhere near the space between a mother and calf is not acceptable. These rules exist to protect the animals and to keep people safe.
Wrong gear, wrong conditions. Winter water can be cold, and whale season often lines up with wind, swell, current, and low visibility. If you are underdressed, underprepared, or out in conditions beyond your ability, the experience can go from magical to miserable very quickly.
The fix for nearly all of this is simple: slow down, build your skills first, choose an ethical operator, and let the encounter come to you.
The best whale experiences are not forced. They happen when you are calm, prepared, respectful, and in the right place at the right time. When a whale chooses to come close on its own terms, that is the kind of encounter you never forget.
Where Deep Sensations Freediving Fits In
We're one of Australia's leading freediving schools, and we spend our winters in the water along the NSW coast and at some of the best marine wildlife destinations in the country. Here's how we can actually help - honestly, without selling you a guarantee no one can make.
Jervis Bay Whale Swim — our dedicated whale experience
Our Jervis Bay Whale Swim is built specifically around ethical, guided, legal and respectful whale encounters. Jervis Bay sits right on the migration route and is a natural resting spot for whales heading both north and south, which makes it one of the standout places on the east coast to be in the water the right way. You get local knowledge, proper safety, and guides who know how to read whale behaviour and when to call it.
What we won't do is promise you a whale. Nobody can. These are wild animals and encounters depend on timing, conditions, regulations and the whale's own choices. What we can promise is that we'll do it properly — calm, legal, ethical, and ready for the moment if the ocean offers it.
Shore-based courses during whale season — a quiet word
Our September and October freediving courses are standard shore-based courses, not official whale swim tours. We want to be straight about that.
But here's the honest, exciting part: because we train in coastal NSW locations right through whale season, whales have swum past the buoys on multiple occasions during courses and line training sessions. We don't chase them. We don't guarantee them. We stay on the line and let wildlife come to us — and some of the best moments we've ever had on a course happened when students were simply training calmly and a whale passed through on its own terms. That's the dream version of a wildlife encounter, and you can't manufacture it. You can only be ready for it.
Lady Elliot Island Expedition — reef and whale season magic
Lady Elliot Island is one of our premium reef expeditions and one of the most beautiful reef-based whale season experiences in Australia. It's a healthy, protected coral system where guests may have the chance to see humpback whales during the season, alongside manta rays, turtles, reef sharks and tropical fish. As always, in-water whale encounters depend on conditions and animal behaviour — but as a wildlife-rich, world-class reef trip during migration season, it's hard to beat.
Ningaloo Reef Expedition — Australia's wildlife heavyweight
Ningaloo Reef in WA is one of the most famous places on Earth for regulated marine wildlife tourism. Our Ningaloo trips are focused on whale sharks, manta rays, healthy reef systems and big marine life, with the possibility of whale sightings or whale swim opportunities depending on timing, permits, operators, conditions and season. We keep it accurate: Ningaloo is a wildlife lottery in the best possible way, and we run it with operators who do it by the book.
Seal Rocks — a great ocean weekend with a chance of whales
Seal Rocks is a beautiful local-style ocean trip and a brilliant weekend in the water. Whale sightings are possible during migration season, though dedicated in-water whale swim opportunities are less likely here than at major migration hotspots. Think of it as a great ocean escape with the chance of seeing whales, dolphins, seals or other marine life — not a guaranteed whale swim, and we'd never pitch it as one.
Beginner Freediver Course — where it all starts
If there's one thing that ties all of this together, it's the Beginner Freediver Course. Water confidence, relaxed breathing, duck diving, equalisation, buddy safety, open-water awareness and the calmness to be near marine life without thrashing or chasing — these are the skills that turn a nervous snorkeller into someone who can genuinely be present for a wildlife moment. We run it across Sydney, Wollongong, Shellharbour, Cronulla, Jervis Bay and the South Coast.
The real transformation isn't a whale photo. It's becoming a calmer, more capable ocean person who knows how to experience wildlife properly — so when the ocean does give you that moment, you're ready for it.
FAQs
Can you legally swim with whales in Australia?
You can legally be in the water during whale season, but you cannot approach a whale. In NSW you must enter the water no closer than 100 metres from a whale and keep at least 30 metres away once you're in the water. If a whale chooses to come closer on its own, that's allowed — chasing or approaching it is not. Some licensed operators (notably at Ningaloo Reef in WA) run permitted in-water humpback swims under strict rules. Always check the current regulations for the state you're diving in.
When is whale season in NSW?
The northbound humpback migration runs roughly May to August and peaks late June into July. The southbound return, often with mums and calves, continues through spring. June and July are prime time on the South Coast, including Jervis Bay.
How close can you get to a whale in the water?
In NSW, swimmers, snorkellers and divers must stay at least 30 metres from a whale once in the water, and may only enter the water no closer than 100 metres away. Vessels must stay at least 100 metres back (300-metre caution zone with a calf), and jet skis 300 metres. You hold your distance; the whale decides whether to come closer.
Do I need to be an experienced freediver to swim with whales?
No. Most encounters happen near the surface. You need open-water comfort, relaxed breathing, basic breath-hold and duck-diving ability, awareness of the rules, and ideally an experienced guide. Calm, relaxed swimmers have far better encounters than people thrashing on the surface — which is exactly what a Beginner Freediver Course builds.
Does Deep Sensations Freediving guarantee whale encounters?
No, and we never will. Whales are wild animals, and encounters depend on timing, conditions, regulations and animal behaviour. Our Jervis Bay Whale Swim is built to give you the best ethical, legal shot at an encounter — and our job is to do it properly and be ready if the ocean offers a moment.
Will I see whales on a Deep Sensations freediving course?
Our September and October courses are standard shore-based freediving courses, not whale swim tours, so we don't promise whales. But because we train in coastal NSW during whale season, whales have passed the buoys during courses and line training more than once. We don't chase them — we stay on the line and let wildlife come to us. When it happens, it's unforgettable.
Where's the best place to swim with whales on the east coast?
Jervis Bay is one of the standouts — it sits on the migration route and is a natural resting spot for whales travelling both ways. Sydney, the South Coast and broader NSW all see strong winter activity. For reef-based wildlife during whale season, Lady Elliot Island is world-class.
Is swimming with whales safe?
It can be, with the right approach. Never go alone, always dive with a buddy, respect the distance rules, watch for boat traffic, and dress for cold winter water. The real risks come from chasing animals, poor conditions and overestimating your ability — all avoidable with the right skills and the right people.
Whale season is one of the best parts of being an ocean lover in Australia, and you do not need to chase, harass, or break a single rule to experience it properly.
The real secret is not finding the perfect spot or forcing the perfect moment. It is becoming calm, capable, and aware enough in the water that when the ocean does give you one of those rare encounters, you are ready to be present for it.
If you want to experience that the right way this season, join our Jervis Bay Whale Swim for a guided, ethical whale swim experience built around respect for the animals. No chasing, no false guarantees, just the best honest chance at a natural encounter on the whales’ terms.
And if you want to build the water confidence, breath-hold, and ocean awareness that make experiences like this safer and more enjoyable, start with our Beginner Freediver Course.
Either way, the goal is the same: to become a calmer, more capable ocean person.
The migration is already moving, and the peak is only weeks away. The whales will keep travelling, but the skills you build now will stay with you for every ocean moment to come.
Comments