FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FOWLERS BAY

How far are you from Adelaide?

  • Fowlers Bay is 917km from Adelaide

How do I get there?

  • Self-drive is the most popular way - it's a 10hr drive from Adelaide
  • Regional Express offer a 90 minute from Adelaide to Ceduna twice per day.  Car hire is available from the Ceduna Airport - we recommend Cedrent.  Fowlers Bay is 140km west of Ceduna - 1.5hr drive.  

Where do you recommend I stay

Fowlers Bay 

 Ceduna (need to leave accommodation at 8am to arrive in time for cruise)

What else is there to do in the area?

  • During whale season (June-October) Head of Bight (170km west) is great for viewing the whales from the cliffs.  While you're there - you can't miss the opportunity to have an incredible arial view of the whales with Chinta Air (08) 8625 9051 - flights depart from Nullarbor Roadhouse
  • If you have a 4WD - the Fowlers Bay sand dunes and coastal drive is spectacular!
  • The Fowlers Bay jetty is the perfect fishing spot to land a massive squid - or head over to Scotts Beach for a salmon!

Is there anywhere to eat?

  • Fowlers Bay Kiosk
  • Penong Hotel
  • Ceduna Oyster Barn
  • Ceduna Foreshore Hotel
  • Ceduna Bakery
CEDUNA

How far are you from Adelaide?

  • Ceduna is 776km from Adelaide - an 8.5hr drive

How do I get there?

  • Self-drive is the most popular way - it's an 8.5hr drive from Adelaide
  • Regional Express offer a 90 minute from Adelaide to Ceduna.  Car hire is available from the Ceduna Airport.

Where do you recommend I stay?

  • Ceduna Foreshore Hotel
    • (08) 8625 2008
    • www.cedunahotel.com.au
    • Shuttle bus available to Marine Facility
    • Secure parking available for duration of expedition

Extending your holiday?? We recommend a visit to Streaky Bay:

  • Streaky Bay Holiday Rentals 0403 495 420
  • Banked Holiday House 0431 952 551
  • Sage at Streaky Bay  0431 952 551
  • Streaky Bay Hotel (08) 8626 1008
  • Streaky Bay Motel & Villas (08) 8626 1126
  • Islands Caravan Park & Villas (08) 7600 0020
  • Streaky Bay Foreshore Caravan Park & Cabins (08) 8626 1666
  • Baird Bay Ocean Eco Apartments (08) 8626 5017 (50km from Streaky Bay)

What else is there to do in the area?

  • Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience (08) 8626 5017 offer the most incredible experience of swimming with Australian sea lions and Bottlenose dolphin in the one tour (50km from Streaky Bay)
  • Take a drive around the Westall Way & Cape Bauer Loops and see the spectacular coastline of the west coast.

Is there anywhere to eat?

  • Bay Funktion Cafe
  • Drift Restaurant
  • Streaky Bay Hotel
  • as well as a kiosk, Pizza bar & roadhouse

GENERAL QUESTIONS

What if the weather is bad?

  • We monitor the weather closely.  If we have concerns about the weather and your safety prior to the day of your tour - we will contact you to either delay or reschedule your tour.  If you do not hear from us - the tour will go ahead as planned.  For the record ...... the whales prefer a bit of swell, wind & rain!  If you're unable to make our proposed change, we will refund your booking.

When do the whales arrive and leave?

  • Our lives would be SO much easier if we had that answer!  Generally, they start moving into the bay around June-ish and leave around late September - early October-ish.  After 13 years of operation - we still aren't sure of all the variables that impact upon their migration - but we do know it's a well kept secret - along with how many are going to show up!  Our season of July, August and September is generally a pretty safe bet - all going well.  You'll obviously have better odds in August as its the middle of the migration season!
  • Don't forget - these are WILD animals.  So although we've got a great track record with sightings - we can never guarantee any sightings or interactions on your cruise.  That being said - we can usually see the whales from our kitchen window before we head out and can give you an idea of location & numbers.  Rod also does his early morning whale spotting from his lookouts down the beach so will have a good indication prior to your tour of what is likely to be out there.  We're all about transparency, so if we genuinely don't think you'll see anything on your tour that day, we'll be honest and then you can decide that morning if you want to take the chance with us and still go, or stay ashore and receive a refund.

Can I go on one of your tours if I have limited mobility?

  • If you want to come on one of our tours - our crew will make every effort to ensure you can!  Please contact us to discuss how we can make this happen.
  • Our passenger loading facility in Fowlers Bay has ramp access, however there are 4 stairs to navigate that we can certainly assist with.

I have dietary requirements, do you cater for that?

  • Certainly do!  Just let us know and we'll cater to your needs.

Do I have to book online?

  • No you don't.  Our online booking system is available as a convenient option.  If you'd prefer to talk to one of our staff, please don't hesitate to call.

Can the whales come up to the boat?

  • We operate under a Commercial Marine Mammal Interaction Permit which is issued by the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water and is governed by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
  • We are lucky enough to hold a permit with special conditions that allows us to approach a whale calf to 150m (normally 300m for any vessel) and 100m from an adult.  Once fixed at this distance, the whales can approach and move around us if they choose to do so.
  • We have a lot of experience in manoeuvring around marine mammals, so we are constantly monitoring behavioural changes to ensure that we are not upsetting our mums & babies

What are your environmental requirements in the Nuyts Archipelago?

  • We operate under a Commercial Tour Operators Permit, and a Commercial Marine Mammal Interaction Permit which is issued by the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water and are governed by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
  • Our expeditions took a long time to develop and were done in collaboration with SA National Parks & Wildlife to ensure that our access to the islands and permitted activities created minimal disturbance to the natural environment, and that our operations were educative and environmentally sustainable.
  • All passengers are required to abide by our permit requirements to ensure protection of the environment, wildlife and to eliminate biosecurity risk.  Guest are briefed prior to vessel departure, and regularly informed throughout the expedition
  • The following Minimum Impact Code for Wilderness Use in South Australia is provided to all passengers prior to departure

 

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