Logan’s Beach on the Great Ocean Road

Warrnambool, Victoria 3280

Every year, Southern Right Whales and blue whales migrate from Victoria in search of sunnier climates, and we’re fast approaching the season when you can spot them languishing off the shoreline in all their magnificent glory.

The Great Ocean Road is a popular spot for many reasons – it boasts a wild and rugged coastline, it is home to several of the region’s best-loved natural attractions, and it garners stunning views out across the ocean, which is why it is the perfect place for whale watching. Logan’s Beach is located in the coastal city of Warrnambool, around 5 kilometres away from the city centre and is great for those wanting to swim or surf!

If you find yourself in the region during June and September, then you’re in with a chance of spotting one of these beauties. Hundreds of them swim through the waters as the migrate to find warmer temperatures (and who can really blame them?). It’s a spot where you’re almost guaranteed to see whales playing, or mothers nursing their young for the long journey they’ll be making southwards.

Whale Watching Season at Logan’s Beach

From the sandy dunes of Logan’s Beach, you have the perfect vantage point for spotting the whales. This is where Victoria’s Southern Right Whale nursery is located, so you have a high chance of seeing these huge creatures as they begin their migration.

From the beach, you can easily come within 100-metres of the mammals, as they frolic around the shoreline, but there is also a specially constructed viewing platform that offers incredible views across the ocean and out into the nursery, and there are number of tools rangers in the area use to keep you up to date with the arrival and daily movements of the resident whales.

Here, you can watch the females come back to the nursery to calve and rear their young before they head back to the sub-Antarctic waters. Further out at sea, you might be able to spot the males and young adults as they play around in the deeper waters.

If you visit Logan’s Beach, prepare to have your breath taken away. Not only will you get the chance to soak up the incredible scenery that defines this part of the Great Ocean Road, but you’ll be able to see some of nature’s most majestic creatures. The viewing platform proves a popular pit stop for visitors travelling along the route, particularly during the winter months. It sits to the east of the Bay and overlooks the sea around Lady Bay, providing visitors with 24-hour access to the whales and their offspring for free.

Whale watching in this part of Australia really is a once in a lifetime experience, and the Southern Right Whales make the experience particularly incredible. From the platform and its surrounding areas, you can watch as they play around and raise their young in their stunning natural habitat.

The Southern Right Whale

These magnificent creatures are easy to spot – not least because of their impressive size.

They also have a smooth, black back and don’t have a dorsal fin like many other species. Each head of a southern right whale is peppered with callosities, which are kinda of like crusty outgrowths. They differ from whale to whale, giving unique markings to them. You might also spot a smattering of white on the whales’ bellies, a colouring that sets them apart from other whale species.

If you’re ready to spot these incredible creatures in their natural habitat, make sure you do everything you can to ensure viewing is a dead cert. Call the Visitor Information Centre before you head to Logan’s Beach to see if the whales are around – and, remember, even if they’re in the region, they might not be visible from the shore.

If this is the case, be sure to come back another time to see if you can spot them!

What can you see around Logan’s Beach

• The City of Warrnambool

  260 kilometres outside of Melbourne, you’ll happen across the coastal city of Warrnambool. This seaside locality is known for its manufacturing in rugs and blankets, and there’s always something new to explore there. The history of the city’s European settlement dates to the 1840s when the land was used for grazing. Initially, it lost many of its settlers as a result of the gold rush in the 1850s but as people began making their way back into town, Warrnambool was classified as a city in 1918.

• Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village

  One of the most popular attractions in the area is the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. This amusement park is a recreation of a 19th-century port and offers visitors the chance to see a day in the life of those living in a port town. Explore the village and its historic sites such as the original lighthouses, and relics from shipwrecks such as the famed Loch Ard Gorge.

• Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

  Located inside of the crater of an inactive volcano, this wildlife reserve is the perfect attraction for nature enthusiasts. There are 4 self-guided walks to choose from that will most likely see you meeting some of the reserve’s local wildlife such as kangaroos and echidnas. There’s also the chance for you to view Indigenous Australian relics and take guided tours around the reserve to see how the clans in this area used native plants for medicinal purposes. There’s even a picnic area where the Visitor Centre is located. Managed by the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperative, there are cultural displays about the history of the environment, as well as Aboriginal arts and crafts available to purchase.