Any fine day in late June or early July, or again between October and November, people enjoying the coastal walk south from Bondi will often be seen pointing excitedly out to sea. Someone has been lucky to spot water spouting upwards - a sign that a migrating whale has come up for air, or perhaps a whale breaching has been seen.

These are the months when thousands of whales, mainly hunmpbacks, but also southern right whales or even the occasional Minke, leave their homes in Antarctica to move to the warmer waters of north Queensland to breed. On their return trip, people look especially for mothers with their calves which swim more slowly and closer to the shore.

From land the Ben Buckler lookout at the northern end of Bondi Beach is a particularly good vantage point, as is the adjacent Bondi Golf Course. Whales can also be seen from Bondi Icebergs, though they are further away. Chances from the shore are best when the sea is calm as rough seas make sighting more difficult. Early morning or between 11am and 3pm (when the sunlight makes viewing easier) are the best times to look for the whales. This migratory pattern has existed for thousands of years, with an Aboriginal rock carving of a whale and its calf found at Mackenzies Point. This carving bas been estimated to be 2,000 years old.  The Whale, or Buri Buri, was an important part of local traditional culture with the Dharawal Dreaming story of buri buri, telling how the whale came to be and how some of our animals came to our country.

Occasionally a pod of whales may be seen in the Harbour or in a coastal bay as they take a rest from their long journey. To protect these migrating whales, the NSW government has placed restrictions on approaching them. No boat, swimmer or surfer may come within 300m of a whale with a calf; for other whales, there’s a 30m limit for swimmers and divers, 100m for boats and surfboards and 400m for jet skis. For dolphins, it’s 50m. Fines apply for infringements.

It is estimated that between 40 and 60,000 whales pass Sydney each year.