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The whale watching season has officially begun, with over 30,000 whales estimated to be currently migrating along the NSW coastline.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is encouraging people to visit coastal national parks for some of the best vantage points to view these majestic ocean giants.

For Sydneysiders, the harbour city and surrounding coastline offers some of the best whale watching spots, from lookouts, headlands and foreshores.

June and July are ideal months to head to a vantage point in Sydney, with whales migrating north in large numbers to the warmers waters off Queensland to breed.

Humpbacks and southern right whales are the most commonly sighted species along the NSW coastline, with minke whales and orcas also occasionally spotted.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service recommends these top five whale watching spots in and around Sydney:

  1. Cape Solander, just south of the city in Kamay Botany Bay National Park, is one of Sydney’s best whale watching spots featuring a lookout with a viewing platform. Whales have been known to swim as close as 200m from the coast here.
  2. North Head, at Manly, provides views across Sydney Harbour National Park towards South Head. The paved Fairfax walk is an easy, gentle track that loops around North Head, making it a fantastic whale watching walk, with sensational ocean views.
  3. South Head, at Watson’s Bay in Sydney Harbour National Park, offers no shortage of whale watching vantage points. Walk the easy South Head Heritage trail to the historic red and white striped Hornby Lighthouse for panoramic ocean views, or head to The Gap for rugged coastline vistas.
  4. Barrenjoey Headland, at Palm Beach on Sydney’s northern beaches, sits at Sydney’s most northerly point in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. A walk up one of the tracks to the historic Barrenjoey Lighthouse will reward you with spectacular ocean views to spot migrating whales.
  5. The Coast Track, in Royal National Park in Sydney’s south, provides countless vantage points to stop and spot whales from the sandstone cliffs, headlands and lookouts along the 26km track.

Whale-watchers can download NPWS’ free Wild About Whales mobile app to find the best vantage points, get real-time notifications of nearby sightings, log their own and more.

To remain safe when whale watching, NPWS reminds whale-watchers to keep at least five metres from cliff edges and rock platforms and pay close attention to signage and any advice from NPWS staff.

Visit www.wildaboutwhales.com.au for all your whale watching information this season.