Eden to Deliver a Whale of a Time During Biggest Whale Festival
- Written by Marsha Rodrom
Perched on the edge of the Tasman Sea on the beautifully unspoilt Sapphire Coast, Eden is set to celebrate its biggest whale festival yet, from October 30 – November 1.
The stunning Two Fold Bay welcomes thousands of whales on their annual migration south each year. After calving in the warm waters off Australia's east coast, whales stop to feast and replenish in its krill and pilchards rich waters.
According to Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase, “There is no better place than NSW to have a close encounter with a whale and Eden is a prime location to make this happen. Eden's stunning natural environment and rich whale history make it an ideal getaway for families and couples”.
“At this year's Eden Whale Festival, which promises to be bigger and better than ever before, expect a close encounter with whales and adventures in this unspoilt coastal wilderness,” Ms Chipchase added.
Eden Whale Festival combines whale watching from the shore and sea along with live shows, hands on family fun, street theatre, film, music, seafood and local produce.
Here are the some of the top reasons to make Eden Whale Festival a must visit event this year:
1. See whales with NSW's longest running whale watching operator, Cat Balou – Passionate about marine mammals and award winning, Cat Balou will be running a 3.5 hour Whale Watching Cruse and a 2.5 hour Family Whale Watching Cruise. For a different type of water based whale watching tour book with Freedom Charters on its intimate tour for just 12 people or Pelican Expeditions with its 62 foot sailing catamaran.
2. Discover Eden with Locals – For just a gold coin donation jump aboard the shuttle bus and be transported to some of Eden's best lookouts and historical sites. Be met by a local expert at each drop-off point and hear the story behind the location and enjoy land based whale watching.
3. Explore the Killer Whale Trail – Easily the best way to spot whales from shore, the Killer Whale Trail is an interactive map that tells you the history of Eden's whaling past as well as the top look-out points around the bay and along the coastline in stunning Ben Boyd National Park.
4. Join a Sea to Plate Tour – Each year Southland Fish Supplies delivers 1900 tonnes of fish, from the boat to the consumer. Watch the seafood as it comes off the boat and into the warehouse to be expertly filleted by Eden locals. This behind the scenes tour showcases why Eden produces some of Australia's best seafood.
5. Take an adventurous Snorkel Tour – The adventure experts, Australia's Coastal Wilderness Adventure will be running twice daily snorkel tours of the crystal clear waters of the Sapphire Coast. Don a wetsuit, snorkel, mask and fins and explore this underwater paradise where you may hear the whale song and encounter dozens of species of fish and marine life.
6. Enjoy a Wilderness Kayak Tour – Exclusive to the Eden Whale Festival, kayak the beautiful sandy Towamba River estuary and explore this amazing pristine wilderness.
7. See Australia's only Orca skeleton – Eden's Killer Whale Museum is home to the skeleton of the most famous killer whale, Old Tom, which is the only complete Orca skeleton in the Southern Hemisphere.
Share your favourite NSW whale watching experience with Destination NSW @Visitnsw #NewSouthWales
For more ideas on whale watching and NSW South Coast adventures go to visitnsw.com.
