Wildlife at the Twelve Apostles

When can you see whales at the Twelve Apostles?

In winter. GORCAPA says Southern Right and Humpback Whales can be seen from the coastal lookouts, and the most reliable spot is Logans Beach in Warrnambool.

Southern Right Whales come inshore to calve. Warrnambool City Council says they return almost every year between June and September, and often swim within a hundred metres of the shore at Logans Beach. There is a free viewing platform in the dunes, open at all times. From the Apostles' cliffs a whale is a lucky bonus; at Logans Beach it is a fair bet in season.

The council's advice is practical: call the Warrnambool visitor centre to check whether whales are about, bring binoculars, and dress for wind and rain. Whales can be in the area and still not show, so give it time. Here is the year at a glance:

What are the birds at Mutton Bird Island?

Short-tailed Shearwaters, also called mutton birds. They nest on the island and fly in at dusk, roughly from spring until April.

Mutton Bird Island stands just off the mouth of Loch Ard Gorge. It is the rock the clipper Loch Ard struck in 1878. GORCAPA gives October to April for the shearwaters, and Parks Victoria's Loch Ard Gorge walk page says September to April. The birds spend the rest of the year in the North Pacific and come back each spring to breed.

The show starts as the light goes. Flocks of dark birds sweep in low over the water and drop onto the island. The Loch Ard Gorge lookouts are open, so stand there at dusk on a summer evening. A sunset tour puts you on this coast at the right hour.

Can you see penguins at the Twelve Apostles?

Sometimes. Little Penguins come ashore on the beach below the lookouts about 10 to 15 minutes after sunset, but they are far below you.

Visit Great Ocean Road, the regional tourism board, says the Twelve Apostles has a colony of around 800 birds, and that most come ashore 20 to 25 minutes after the first ones. GORCAPA notes their tracks in the sand on the way to the burrows. London Bridge, past Port Campbell, gets you closer. The Port Campbell Visitor Information Centre lends binoculars for free: pick them up before 5pm and return them after 9am the next day.

Be clear on what this is. These are small birds on a beach well below the cliff, in fading light. The tourism board says it differs from the up-close viewing at Phillip Island. The sunset tour has you at the Apostles for sunset, and the listing has the group heading back to Melbourne after it, so penguins are a lucky extra on that day, not a promise.

Where do tours see koalas on the Great Ocean Road?

In the eucalypt forest of the Otways, between Apollo Bay and Lorne. Most day tours stop to look, and one listing guarantees a sighting.

Koalas sleep high in the gums for most of the day, so a guide who knows the trees makes all the difference. The reverse boutique tour includes a koala walk and says "koala spotting guaranteed" in its listing, along with kangaroos and parrots. The sunset tour is honest that sightings cannot be guaranteed, but the guide helps you look. The 10 stops day tour adds wild koala spotting and an optional wildlife park at own cost ($37 adult, $25 child, per the listing).

Guests on the reverse tour back it up. Jannik wrote: "I really liked the reverse route. It was a nice group size and it was nowhere too crowded. Also we saw a few koalas and kangaroos."

Koala walk, Otway rainforest walk and the Twelve Apostles before the crowds, for US$97 in a group of up to 12.

★ 4.9 · 12 hours · from $97

Explore the reverse boutique tour → Tour details

Is Phillip Island better than the Twelve Apostles for penguins?

Yes, for penguins. The Penguin Parade on Phillip Island is built for watching them cross the beach; the Apostles are about the stacks.

Phillip Island is south-east of Melbourne, the opposite direction from the Great Ocean Road, so it is a separate day. The Penguin Parade tour does not visit the Twelve Apostles. It covers Moonlit Sanctuary wildlife park, The Nobbies boardwalks, Cape Woolamai in the summer months and the Penguin Parade at sunset, with a standard viewing ticket and selected city hotel pickup. It is rated 4.8 from 1,324 reviews, from US$109, for up to 24 guests. Food is not included.

Our advice: do both if you have the days. The Apostles for the coast and the koalas, Phillip Island for penguins you can actually see. One guest, Matteo, wrote that "the time allowed for us to visit each location enabled us to enjoy the views in peace."

Moonlit Sanctuary, The Nobbies and the Penguin Parade at sunset, with hotel pickup and the parade ticket included.

★ 4.8 · 12 hours · from $109

Explore the Penguin Parade tour → Tour details

How do you watch wildlife responsibly at the Twelve Apostles?

Stay on the paths and platforms, keep your distance and never touch a sick or dead bird.

• Bird flu notice. GORCAPA and Parks Victoria carry an H5 bird flu alert. If you see sick or dead birds or other wildlife, do not touch them; report them to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
• Penguins in the dark. Stay up on the lookouts. The birds need a clear run from the water to the burrows.
• Injured animals. Visit Great Ocean Road gives 03 8400 7300 for reporting injured wildlife.
• No dogs. Dogs are not allowed in Port Campbell National Park.
• Whale etiquette. At Logans Beach, keep off the dunes and use the platform.

London Bridge is the best evening spot after the Apostles. Its arch fell in 1990, and Little Penguins sometimes return to the beach below at dusk. The Arch viewing area nearby is temporarily closed, and The Grotto is open.

Frequently asked questions