2021 Humpback Whale Research Expeditions
The 2021 whale watching season is going to be a big one! With humpback whale numbers consistently on the rise year by year, the Gold Coast Bay is the perfect…
humpback whale research
We did the snorkelling adventure (family of 4). Absolutely loved the experience. The hosts are laid back, experienced, all about safety, supportive of any nerves, and funny. We really enjoyed ourselves and would recommend this to anyone. The seats are limited which keeps the group nice and small. We had another family with us (who we had not met before), and it didn't feel awkward or anything like that. We are a family of swimmers who love the sea, but I think everyone would enjoy it.
Was told a 20hp boat was reserved and when arriving told they weren’t available and only an 8 hp was available and we couldn’t get far on it! False advertising has destroyed our holiday and is appalling no wonder why the last business had to be rebranded!
Safe as and the staff are so friendly and on The ball we had a blast. Great morning out
Amazing and enjoyable dive with Dave and Alex! The sites I visited and the information they shared made it a memorable time at the Gold Coast and I recommend anyone interested in diving to try out Aqua Adventures
I did the 3 day open water diving scuba course here. Dave is an amazing instructor and ensured our group was able to grasp and do every skill underwater. Would recommend them for any water activities in and around the Gold Coast area.
Me and my friend had our first ever diving experience with the SCUBA diving Discover course! The experience was truly amazing. Dave, the best man, was full of patience and his professionalism was an assurance to our safety. He was reliable and extremely helpful, making sure we're alright every now and then.Our guide was also kind and helpful, ensuring our equipment were safe. He also takes amazing photos on the sideOverall an awesome journey and we get to interact with the little octopus 🐙 The course is newbie-friendly and the kind staffs made us discover out new interest of diving🤿
Overall the tour wasn't bad but we paid for a swim with Whales Tour and only went in the water once.Unfortunately the crew has issues with the rope getting caught in the engine which caused the trip back to be slow.Genuinely, it just an unlucky day and we could see the potential of the tour.The one star is because we were told we would all be issued a 50% voucher. (They offered without us asking and we haven't received it) I've attempted to follow up with no luck just disappointed they never followed through with their promise. We would have done the tour again...
Leon and Mike made our whale watching dreams come true today! In challenging seas they kept us safe and they got us up close and personal to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. We saw breeches and blows and waves and rolls and it was just an incredible experience. If you're looking for an intimate experience where you will learn about these glorious creatures and have the time of your life get on board with these guys.
My friend and I booked a swimming with whales experience and we had the most amazing experience that we could have asked for!It was an incredible day, all thanks to Monica, our guide, and Adam, the captain.Monica was awesome and made sure we were well-prepared and comfortable the whole time. You could tell she is really passionate, and her good energy was contagious! Adam did a great job by getting us to the perfect spots to see the whales up close and swim next to them. He made sure we had a great adventure!The tour was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, we also got some cool photos and videos, and having such an awesome team made it even better for us!!! We will be forever grateful for it. Thank you so much Monica & Adam, keep doing a great job!! Absolutely unforgettable day!
Although my trip was one of the unlucky ones where we didn’t get to swim with any whales, it certainly wasn’t due to lack of trying.Monica was absolutely fantastic, worth her weight in gold! And the business honoured the 50% off the next trip. I’ll be back annually!
I did my PADI Open Water Diving Course with Aqua Adventures! We were 2 students and had 2 amazing instructors, Adam and Virginie! A huge thanks to both of you for being professional, patient and great instructors. I enjoyed these 3 days very much and would recommend everyone that's interested in diving to do this too. There were no hidden fees, and we got our own snorkel and mask for free. Definitely a serious course provider!
I came here looking for snorkeling gear and any helpful tips I could getNot only did they get me the equipment I needed but also answered all my questionsWas such an easy hire!Thank you to the incredible staff and instructor for incredible customer service10/10 would recommend
Had an excellent time with Adam and Monica!So many whales and even some dolphins on our way out!
adam and monica were amazing! whales came right up to the boat and swam under it, got some amazing photos and videos :)
Swimming with whales was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. From the very beginning, the crew took their time to ensure not only a safe experience but also an enriching one. They searched and searched until they found the perfect spot for us to have a close encounter with these majestic creatures.What impressed me the most was the patience and dedication of the guides. They explained everything we needed to know about the whales, their behavior, and their habitat in detail, which truly enhanced the whole experience and allowed us to appreciate them even more.It’s an experience I’ll never forget, and we’re deeply grateful for the team’s effort and dedication in making it possible. If you’re looking for a unique connection with nature, this is an experience you absolutely can’t miss.
Too many whales on this trip, that was soooo exciting !!! We saw tails, fins and even beautiful white bellies and breaching ! We chose to swim with whales and that was stunning ! Hearing their sound under the water and seeing them swimming 2meters form us, I definitely won't forget this morning.Also, thank you Adam and Mike for letting us enjoy it even though it was time to go home. You're the best !!
Fantastic morning with Adam & Mike. Got to see 3 really young Humpbacked calves practising their breaching technique. I won't mention the music.....
Amazing experience, Cristina and Adam the best guides. We swimming with whales and dolphins, amazing day, awesome team, weather and service
I had an unforgettable time whale watching with Aqua Adventures! Mike and Adam's enthusiasm and expertise made the experience truly exceptional. Choosing a smaller boat was the perfect decision, as it gave us the chance to witness whales and their calves up close—absolutely breathtaking! The weather was fantastic, and to top it off, we even spotted dolphins. I can't recommend Aqua Adventures enough for anyone seeking an extraordinary whale-watching tour. A big thank you to the crew for an incredible day!
I thoroughly enjoyed this experience! It was my first time whale watching, and I loved every moment. Adam and Mike were really fun and made the trip even better.
This diving centre is the best in gold coast. I’ve been to many other diving centres but I believe they will be the best soon. I done the swim with whale adventure with Adam and Mike. They both were so kind and experts on this area. We faced whale so many times and finally able to swim with them 2 times(also with dolphins!!!). I will be back here again and have another chance for this great experience. Big appreciation for Adam and Mike!!!
Thanks to Adam and Mike, we really enjoy our tour. We saw many whales and also dolphins.I guess I’ll never forgot about this experience.Once again, thanks to Adam and Mike, we really have good time😍
Did not get to swim with any whales, at 300$ each person I would've expected the company to reschedule since our tour guide told us right away that the water visibility was near zero (so even if we would've gotten close there was no way to see them in the water). It states in the documents that we sign that if the weather isn't proper they'll reschedule but I guess they didn't want to lose our money (which according to our tour guide happens very, very often). Our tour guide however was a lovely lady full of knowledge, which made us a little less sad.
We booked a whale watching tour and boy oh boy were we not dissapointed! The guides were very friendly and knowledgable of whales and marine life, they went out of their way to make sure we had an unforgetable experience even if it meant an extra hour of the tour. We saw heaps of whales and got within metres close, I wasn't aware that you are also able to jump into the water and swim with the magnificent creatures! There is a limit of I think 12 people on the boat, su you are getting a very intimate and personalized experience rather than being on a yacht with another 100 people. Definitely recommend these guys, their work is worth every penny and more!
We booked as a group of 3 friends, and we all had a whale of a time! (Excuse my pun)Despite one of us getting a small bought of seasickness due to the slightly choppy water, we still got to see many whales and also dolphins.The guys were very well informed, had great senses of humour and were also very kind, and took their time to make sure we saw as many whales as possible on our trip.On our boat we also had some people that booked to go swimming with the whales so that was an also experience.Was a very very good day…Happy smiling faces all round!Highly recommend 😎
WOW what a day 🐋Thank you Michael and Adam for an amazingday out on the water🐋Great guys and great knowledge, with great respect for these beautiful creatures 🐋Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time❤️Had the pleasure of seeing a young calf❤️Whales breaching, fin slapping and spy hopping.To top it off when I got in the water a whale swam under me❤️🐋A memory I will never forgetThank you once again ❤️🐋❤️
i know it's nature and it comes down to luck but we saw over 20 whales and even more dolphins on our morning tour. crew were really nice and friendly. would go again :)
The best choice for this Gold Coast trip..💗I was worried because it was a small ship with 12 people, but my worry was for nothing.I passed by the Sea World cruise that I was originally planning to take, but there were so many people that it was hard to see it up close.This boat is a small group of 12 people, so we got to see it up close and the staff were very friendly.If you’re going whale watching, please ride this🥹🥹
What a trip - an experience that made my heart sing. From the start to finish, can’t fault this opportunity and think it should be on everyone’s MUST do list. LOVED the smaller boat experience, just a handful of us on board, great crew. I would go again tomorrow… from the fresh sea air, the views of the city, the whales, the sharing of info and personable staff - and totally rate the skipper, handled the ocean like a pro.
A fantastique, unique and émotionnal experience with Adam the skipper and Monica and Michelle. They took us to see whales and swim with them... we saw whales and their baby, a turtle, jellifish, sea snake and the gem...we got to swim with dolphins who just wanting to have fun with us. Unforgettable. Friendly little business. Full safety. Good equipment. Adam extended the trip, thank you! He also proposed a half price discount if we want to Come back. Very grateful. We highly recommand. Sandra ̀dra and William
Great Team. Fantastic introduction to Scuba diving. Very knowledgeable.Thank you so much!
Great day with Adam and Mike. Saw so many up close whales and dolphins 🐬
Had an amazing experience with Adam and Mike. We found two whales, but there were also 4 other boats trying to get there attention, so we went to a few other different spots and we were not disappointed. We had multiple breaching whales, a couple we followed for quite a while. It was an excellent experience that I can't wait to do again. Would definitely use these guys again, very knowledgeable and friendly.
Best experience EVER!! We had a whale of a time. Excellent crew. Can not recommend them enough. If you sit in the front be wary you may get wet so have a change of clothes and a towel. It was worth it though.
Amazing experience!! So glad to go with a small boat and a great crew. Thank you Adam, Michelle and Fran!
A fantastic introductory session for those new to Scuba. We went in July, the water was crystal clear and it was teeming with aquatic life. Our instructors were friendly and helpful and the gear was easy to use. Would recommend
WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING DAY! 🐋We did the “swimming with the whales” and had an awesome time. Captain Adam went “above and beyond” to get us to the right areas so that we could be in the water with these majestic creatures. I can’t say enough about the friendliness of the crew. Fran has more knowledge about the wales than an encyclopedia. 😊 We learned so much! I homeschool so this was a win win for my son’s education. She even let me use her face mask and snorkel because I was having a hard time with mine, making sure I was in the right position to see the whales underneath the water. AMAZING! Michelle was also soooooo helpful and kind. 🤗 I’m so happy we did this and not the big charters. This was a more intimate setting, only allowing 10 passengers per trip. It made it so much easier to be able to go to where the whales were. Thank you, Adam, Fran and Michelle! Can I rename you “the whale chasers”??? 😀 🐳 🐋🐋🐋Thanks for making it so special; a trip of a lifetime! Oh, btw…the boat ride was a blast, as well.
Fantastic experience of swimming/floating with whales. Team Adam, Fran and Michelle made sure we swam at least 5 times. 4 of those times fantastic views of the whales dipping under us.We recognize we were really lucky as you can go out and not go in the water. We saw boys breaching, mum and calf, excellent experience
Had such a good time with the Aqua Adventures team on their small boat whale watching tour !way much better than the bigger boat that’s for sure lol. Saw some amazing whale jumping and dolphins. The crews were very knowledgeable and friendly! Truly one of my parent’s best adventures while visiting Australia!
Great experience, saw whales/dolphins/ turtles. Mike and Adam were wonderful and knowledgeable hosts.
Amazing experience ! Many thanks to Adam and Mike.We saw many whales and even 2 babies !
The Team were so helpful and knowledgeable, unfortunately didn't get to swim with the whales as they had other ideas powering on towards the North Coast. But we did see some beautiful whales from the boat. Thank you all again Ivanka Feher
A breathtaking morning swimming with humpback whales. Brought me to tears. An experience I'll never forget. Staff were super knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommended.
Great experience swimming with dolphins and whales... a great group and very experienced staff. Thanks Mike and Adam for a great tour. From Sammy the dolph9n whisperer
The excursion has been simply incredible. With Mike, Mónica, and Adam, we've had a spectacular day. We've seen lots of whales, dolphins, and even a turtle. Moreover, we've been lucky to see whales 3 times underwater. It's been amazing, just a spectacular day. 100% recommended !!!!
Dave and the crew were really easy-going and made things really simple; we have a great time out to Wave island for a discover scuba session and snorkeling.
An incredible experience with Mike and the whole team despite rough seas. THANKS!
Fantastic organization!Great friendly people, not overcrowded, comfortable boat.Seen plenty of whales on the shortest day of the year.Highly recommendedThank you for a fantastic day out.
It was a real pleasure and amazing moment.The staff is really nice and we had good adventure with Mike and Adam, they were funny and give us many informations. They tried all the long to find whales and enjoy to get us to them, so we could see many whales and swim with some of them and one baby! Many thanks, memorable experience🤗 🙏
100% recommend! The crew were fantastic. The whole experience was to die for! Can't thank the fellas enough for making my dreams come true!
An excellent experience! Terrific, small, swift, comfortable boat. Knowledgeable,helpful and friendly crew.(thanks Mike and Adam)They were also respectful and passionate about the whales and dolphins. It was a great morning for those of us who watched the whales and dolphins but even more special for those who swam with the whales.We will be back !Sorry, my photos don't show how fab the experience was.
I had the most amazing day on the whale watching/swimming tour with Adam and Mike ! It was truely a once in a lifetime experience to get so close to the whales!
I had the most amazing day on the whale watching/swimming tour with Adam and Mike ! It was truely a once in a lifetime experience to get so close to the whales!
We had the best experience today with Adam and Mike from Aqua adventures! We went swimming with the whales and we saw them under us and in front of us! It was incredible. The whales were very inquisitive and came to us! Just drifting with the boat! It was absolutely amazing!
One of the best experiences I had around Australia! Mike and Adam were really nice and knowledgeable! I'm glad I chose a small boat for whale watching it is the best choice to do (especially with them)!The conditions were stunning! Whales and their calves came so close to the boat it was unbelievable and as a bonus we even saw dolphins!I obviously recommend 100% Aqua Adventures! Thanks again to the crew😁
The best day in Gold Coast！！！Small boat is really good for whale watching ！Michael and Adam are really friendly and experienced.You can’t miss this trip.
Had a great time Snorkeling today. Lads were welcoming and the Dive ladies who were also on the boat with us were lovely - nice mix of activities and experience. Awesome experience for us all and a good way to round up our holiday 🏖 thanks guys
Amazing crew! They do everything they can to get you with the whales and are very educational. Phenomenal operation going on. 10/10 would recommend.
Possibly the best day of my life. I’m so glad I trusted my gut while going ahead with booking aqua adventures. I think the boat is perfect, not too small where you’re scared of toppling over and not too big and overcrowded. I did a double decker in Sydney, but this experience was waaaaay better.Monica and her partner were so great, keeping usinformed and filling us in with fun facts about whales. It was just brilliant and if I have another day in the coast I will possible go back out with them:)Oh and these videos do no justice to what I experienced :D
Fab morning out doing a first time scuba with my son. Instructor was great and very patient. Good value for money. Saw plenty fish and was diving for around half an hour. The boat trip was good too getting to the dive site.
Did some wave break scuba diving and hadGreat instructors. Will definitely take another tour once I'm Padi certified.
I booked with another firm originally but I changed to this one, paying a little more for them because each time I rang with a question (4 different times!), my call was answered by the owner of the business. My teenage kids did the scuba dive, both first timers. Both had a fabulous experience and saw plenty of marine-life including a small stingray! Highly recommended.
Casey is very knowledgeable on fishing and equipment and a really good bloke. Awesome bait and tackle shop.
My son did his PADI open water course, Dave the Dive Instructor was really patient, he really ensured my boy understood and was aware of all requirements. Dave a massive thank you, LJ was full of compliments and praise for yourself and the team see you soon for some more diving.
Went and done my refresher open waters here. Great team in particular Dave and poppy. Would highly recommend. Good equipment and very informative. Great couple of days 👍👍
We had an awesome time snorkeling, so many beautiful varieties of fish. Well worth it! The crew keeps everyone safe too. Thanks Aqua Adventures!
Had an amazing diving experience with Aqua Adventures. Dave and the team were professional, organised and knowledgeable. Definitely would recommend to anyone wanting to dive while in the Gold Coast!
Had an absolutely unforgettable snorkelling adventure this morning! Was initially concerned about the water being too cold for our young kiddos, aged 4 and 8, but it turned out to be a complete non-issue. The water was surprisingly warm and calm, filled with vibrant fish that captivated us all.The wetsuits and other gear provided were invaluable—quite the relief given we're not regular water sports enthusiasts. But what truly made our experience stand out was our guide/instructor Dave. He made sure the instructions were crystal clear, while always keeping an eye on us. Special shoutout for how well he looked after the little ones, making us feel both safe and entertained.If you're looking to have a fun and safe snorkelling experience, I can't recommend this service highly enough! 🐟🌊👌🏼 #SnorkellingAdventure #FamilyFun #HighlyRecommended
Fabulous whale watching experience, friendly team. Highly recommended!
We had a fabulous time on the whale watching trip. Everyone was so knowledgeable and helpful. We saw so many whales, up closer than I thought we ever would. We didn’t go swimming but everyone who did seemed to have a marvellous time.I would recommend this tour as the small groups make it so much more intimate and they really cared about the whole experience for everyone. We saw a number of the bigger cruise boats overloaded with passengers and I’d have to say I’m so glad we did this trip.
It was the best experience we ever had!! I would 100% recommend! The staff was fantastic 👏. I've done whale watching before but it was nothing compared to what I experienced today with Aqua Adventures. It brought us to tears to see such amazing creatures so close! We were able to see plenty of whales and dolphins. 🐬🐋
Really good today guys, thank you for taking care of Phil (aka Squirrel), a dedicated kite surfer and sailor. He is vision impaired and suffers from aspergers syndrome and is required to be permanently helmeted on water, he really enjoyed his discovery dive dive time here.His first time underwater at Manly Aquarium some 8 years ago.He will be back on the Gold Coast late July for round 2, after engineering a custom solution to fit his mask and helmet safely underwater.Thank You
We hired kayaks and the process was quick and easy.We were provided with life jackets and given clear instructions.We kayaked along the opposite side from Sea World and were very delighted when we spotted a dolphin only 20mtrs away from us. It was affordable and very fun. Highly recommend.
- 07 5591 7117
- info@aquaadventures.com.au
- 95 Marine Parade, Southport, Qld, 4215, Australia
© 2025 Aqua Adventures
Branding + Website = { c55.com.au } s’99