Whale Roads: Geraldton’s Seasonal Visitors
- Danny Petrie
- Jun 18
- 3 min read
Every winter, as the air sharpens and the sea breathes deep, something ancient stirs in the blue beyond Geraldton’s shore. Giants return. Not monsters, but travelers. They follow routes older than any map, charted not in ink but in memory, deep beneath skin and bone. These are the whale roads - and along them glide the ocean’s most remarkable visitors.
The Journey of a Lifetime
From Antarctica’s icy banquet table, humpback whales begin their northern pilgrimage each year - a journey of more than 10,000 kilometers. They fast along the way, having fed heartily on krill and cold, and arrive in the warmer waters of northwestern Australia to breed and calve.
Geraldton, poised gracefully between the reef and open ocean, sits directly along this migratory superhighway. Between June and November, locals and tourists alike gather at cliff edges and beaches with binoculars, cameras, and coffee in hand - hoping for a breach, a tail slap, a glimpse of grandeur.
Who’s Passing Through?
While humpbacks are the most commonly seen whales off Geraldton, they’re not alone:
Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae): Famous for their acrobatics and long, haunting songs, they’re the stars of the migration.
Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis): Stockier and slower, with distinctive callosities on their heads. They often come closer to shore.
Blue Whales (Balaenoptera musculus): The largest animals to have ever lived. Rare but unforgettable - a true oceanic sighting trophy.
Orcas (Orcinus orca): Occasionally spotted in pursuit of prey, these apex predators command awe and respect.
Each species has its own rhythm, its own story - yet they all follow the same invisible trail.
Why Geraldton?
There’s something special about this stretch of coast. Geraldton sits in the Leeuwin Current’s path, where warmer waters thread southward against the grain. The bathymetry - the seafloor’s shape - provides whales with deeper channels closer to shore, especially around the Abrolhos Islands. These conditions offer rest, protection, and perhaps even socialisation stops for passing pods.
Local observers often report mother-calf pairs cruising slowly, resting near reefs or weaving past the horizon. These are moments of softness - a pause in the pulse of migration.
How to Watch Well
Whale watching in Geraldton isn’t just a visual delight - it’s a chance to connect, to witness the wonder of life larger than our own. But it also comes with responsibilities. Here’s how to be a respectful observer:
Keep a distance: From land, that’s easy. From boats, it’s vital. In WA, you must stay at least 100 meters from a whale.
Minimise noise: Whales use sound to navigate. Avoid revving engines, shouting, or playing music at sea.
Report distress: If you see a whale tangled in fishing gear or behaving oddly close to shore, contact Parks and Wildlife or the WA Whale Stranding Hotline on 9442 5080.
Join the Story
This season, Midwest Eco Stories invites you to keep a Whale Diary. Note the date, location, behavior, and species (if known). Sketch a tail. Write a haiku. It’s not about scientific perfection; it’s about paying attention, about welcoming the sea’s oldest stories into your day.
You can share your sightings with us on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #WhaleRoadsWA. Let’s fill our feeds with flukes, spray, and salt.
Final Words
When we speak of migration, we often think of flight - of birds overhead or butterflies in bloom. But here, just off our beaches, are pilgrims of another kind. They don’t fly. They swim. And in their wake, they leave awe.
So next time you stand by the sea and the wind smells like salt and sky - lookout. Look long. The whale roads are open, and the giants are homeward-bound.
Whale watching in Geraldton:
Disentanglement story:
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