Spirit of Gold Coast Whale Watching - Main Beach, Queensland

Torie Frederiksen

My husband and I joined the crew at Spirit of Gold Coast Whale Watching as a birthday gift from my son on Saturday 14/09/2024, unfortunately the weather made the sea conditions unsuitable and we had to return to dock. We had our cruise rescheduled free of charge for Saturday 21/09/2024, we had such an amazing experience Watching the Wales at play. The crew members were fantastic! Especially the gentleman inside/at the bar, he made the trip even more enjoyable and memorable for us. We will definitely be returning for more Wale Watching experiences with this crew!

Susie Miller

Fantastic experience watching the whales playing and breaching for us! Second time we have done this cruise and neither experience disappointed. By far, this time was the best with full breaches to stun us with!

Hannah Jorgensen

Wonderful experience and loads of whales. We are GC locals but have never been whale watching before, I’m so glad we booked Spirit of Gold Coast. The crew were fabulous and very knowledgeable, the boat was comfortable and clean and we saw heaps of whales including when it was time to go back to shore we got surrounded by 6. Such a wonderful experience, my photos don’t do it justice. Highly recommend

Alex Lte

I give 2 stars because the experience is good to do although very touristy.
We saw lots of whales jumping, slapping their tails etc...

BUT, I wouldn't give it any more than that because there is a real problem with environmental ethics.
The boat is not properly maintained, which results in black smoke coming out of the exhaust, as well as black liquid pouring directly into the water.

I'm disgusted to have taken part in a cruise on a boat that pollutes enormously and gives black smoke to the whales to breathe, which can irritate their respiratory tracts given the proximity we were at, and even kill the whales if they ingest the liquid.

I decided to talk to the crew at the end to make sure they were aware of the problem and I know it's not their fault directly and it seems there's a conflict with the owner. The owner has a duty to maintain his boat, which he obviously doesn't want to do.

It's disgusting to see a businessman running whale trips while killing them.

If the owner sees this comment, know that you are disgusting for not providing your employees with a boat in good condition. I don't want your business to last with a mentality like yours. Money is good, but proper money is better. You raise enough money by putting 30 people on a boat at the same time to be able to maintain your boat.
If you can't run a business properly, then you're not a businessman, you're scum.

Rachel Beattie

You helped make a life long dream of seeing whales happen. It was an unforgettable experience! One came right up to the boat and just hung around us. It was just so beautiful to watch them.
The team were great, the driver also making some funny moments with his commentary. Thank you team!

Nick Gilbert

Personal whale watching tour without the hundreds of people cramped onto a boat (cough Seaworld cough). Very knowledgeable Captain who talks you through the experience. The kids loved it but the 3 year old got sea sick and the crew were amazing and provided sick bags and helped with the clean up. Even with that it was a wonderful experience and one we will remember. We would not hesitate to use Spirit of Gold Coast whale watching again!

Gem Clark

Where do I begin!
Firstly, thank you to Carlo, Pauli and Trudi. The kindest, most accommodating staff I have met on my trip.
I couldn't have asked for a better trip. I travelled with the Spirit family on Wednesday and I am so happy I did.
These guys made me feel not like a customer, but a guest on their boat. Even going out of there way to follow a pod of dolphins as I had mentioned it was all I had dreamed to see (strange request for a whale watching cruise) but as soon as they spotted them they decided to go off course just for me, this made my day and I am so grateful.
Keep on doing what you're doing guys because you are amazing.
People will forget what you said, or even forget what you did but they will never forget how you made them feel!
Thank you so much Spirit family.
I will never forget my time with you ❤️

Sami

Ive been on a few different boats and had different crowds, i found it difficult to get photos and see the action, thankfully a lovely lady let me in to take a turn at the back of the boat, a lot of kids struggling to see with all the tall adults at the front - it really depends on the crowd you get sometimes! Which makes me wonder if there is better boat designs for whale watching. The crew, super amazing, friendly and knowledgeable. The trip itself and cruise was as perfect as whale watching can be with wild animals!