The southern right whale migration along the Australian coast is one of the more reliable wildlife events of the Australian autumn and winter. Each year through May and into June, southern right whales travel northward from their Antarctic feeding grounds to the temperate Australian coastal waters where they calve and rest through the winter months. The 2026 migration appears to be running on a broadly typical pattern, and the early sightings through May suggest a good viewing season ahead.

Where the migration is being observed in May 2026:

The Great Australian Bight remains one of the most reliable viewing areas. The Head of Bight in South Australia and the surrounding cliffs provide one of the best land-based whale observation areas in the world. The viewing platform at Head of Bight has been recording arrivals from late May through into the spring months in typical years.

The South Australian coast through May has been seeing sightings in the Port Lincoln area, Coffin Bay, and along the western Eyre Peninsula. The sightings have been moderate through early May with the expected build through late May and into June.

The southern Western Australian coast — particularly the south coast around Albany, the Doubtful Bay area, and Augusta — has been recording sightings in May with the seasonal increase expected through the coming weeks.

The Victorian south-west coast — Warrnambool, Logans Beach, the Great Ocean Road coast — is one of the more accessible viewing areas for southern right whales in the country. The Logans Beach calving area is the most consistent close-shore viewing location and has been having moderate early sightings through April and May.

The southern New South Wales coast and southern Queensland coast see fewer southern right whale sightings than the more southerly states. The humpback whale migration overlaps these areas and is more abundant there, but occasional southern right sightings occur along these coasts.

Research and monitoring in 2026:

The Australian Antarctic Division continues the long-running aerial survey program of southern right whales along the major calving coastline. The aerial counts through 2024 and 2025 have shown a population that is recovering from the historical whaling lows but at a slower rate than was observed in earlier decades.

Photo-identification work continues at several key sites including Head of Bight, the south-west Victorian coast, and the south Western Australian coast. The identification of individual whales through unique callosity patterns allows long-term tracking of individuals and contributes to the population dynamics understanding.

Population trends through the past decade show continued slow growth at the Australian population level but with significant year-to-year variability. The 2024 and 2025 calving rates have been moderate. The 2026 calving will be known through the season but the early indicators are not signalling a particularly strong or weak year.

The slower than expected recovery has been a topic of ongoing research. The contributing factors are believed to include reduced food availability in the Antarctic feeding grounds, the long generational cycle of the species (a female may calve only every 3-4 years), and the cumulative impact of multiple human pressures on the species during the long recovery period from whaling.

Viewing guidance for the rest of May and into June:

Land-based viewing is the most accessible option for most viewers. The southern Australian cliffs offer some of the best whale viewing platforms in the world. The whales come close to shore at the calving sites and the elevated viewing positions on the coastal cliffs give clear views without requiring boat charter.

Boat-based viewing should follow the regulations on approach distance. The minimum approach distances for whales in Australian waters are 100 metres for vessels generally and longer distances apply for calving whales and for whales with calves. Commercial operators who run whale watching tours generally observe these regulations and the experience is meaningful at the regulated distances.

Aircraft-based viewing is available at some locations through commercial operators. The aerial perspective gives a different view of the whales and can show calving activity, breaching behaviour, and the broader group movements more clearly than land-based viewing.

What is changing in the species’ situation:

Climate change effects on Antarctic feeding grounds remain an active research concern. The southern right whales feed primarily on copepods and krill in the Antarctic waters and the long-term changes in these food sources have implications for the species’ nutrition through the feeding season.

Shipping traffic in the calving areas continues to be a managed concern. The major calving coastal areas are mostly outside heavy shipping routes but some interactions occur and the management of shipping speed and routing in the relevant areas is part of the conservation framework.

Entanglement in fishing gear remains an episodic concern. The whale disentanglement teams in Australia have continued the response capability through 2024–25 and the response to entanglement events has been generally effective.

Coastal development pressures in some calving areas have been the subject of management consideration. The Logans Beach area near Warrnambool is one example where coastal management of the calving area is considered alongside the broader coastal development planning.

For Australian observers and conservation supporters in May 2026:

The migration is running on a broadly typical schedule. The viewing opportunities through late May and into June and July are good across the main viewing sites along the southern Australian coast.

Citizen science contributions through the Australian Marine Mammal Centre and through Coastal Conservation Network observer programs continue to be valuable. Observer reports of sighting locations, behaviour, and group composition contribute to the long-term monitoring of the species.

The species is one of the better Australian conservation stories in the medium term but the recovery is slow and the population remains well below pre-whaling levels. The long timeline of the recovery emphasises the importance of the continued conservation framework and the patient observation and research work that has supported the species through the past several decades.

For viewers planning to see southern right whales this season, the late May through August window is the prime time at most major viewing locations. The whales typically arrive in the calving grounds in late May, calve through June and July, and remain through August before beginning the southward return migration. The experience of watching mother-and-calf pairs in the protected coastal waters is one of the meaningful wildlife encounters available on the Australian coast and is worth planning for if the opportunity is in reach.