FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Whale watching

• Shorts/loose pants you can roll up above the knees (you will get wet up to your knees)
• Waterproof jacket (recommended)
• Sun hat
• Warm clothing mostly in winter (e.g. jacket, fleece, warm headwear)

Snorkelling

• Swimsuit
• Sun hat

All tours meet at our store, located at 5 Marvell Street, Byron Bay. Find the directions in google maps . Unfortunately, we do not offer pick-ups from the accommodation or alternate meeting points.

Please check through this link.

If you have booked through an external travel agent (e.g. Happy travel) you must bring a paper copy or online evidence of your voucher for the tour.

Whale watching

• Shorts/loose pants you can roll up above the knees (you will get wet up to your knees)
• Waterproof jacket (recommended)
• Proof of ID – Sun hat
• Water bottle
• Warm clothing (e.g. jacket fleece, warm headwear)
• Change of clothes
• Cameras welcome

Snorkelling

• Proof of ID
• Swimsuit
• Sun hat
• Water bottle
• Change of clothes

If you are prone to seasickness we recommend purchasing some seasickness tablets from the pharmacy prior to your tour. We have ginger seasickness tablets available to purchase at the counter in the store and onboard.

• If the weather or sea conditions are not suitable on the day of your tour you will be contacted via text message or phone on the contact number you have provided, and you will be offered a full refund or a reschedule (dependent on availability) of your tour.* In the event of a cancellation due to unsuitable conditions, we will give you as much notice as possible.
• While we endeavour to give you adequate notice in the event of a cancellation, please note that short notice cancellations can occur in the event of sea and weather conditions abruptly changing and becoming unsuitable at the time of your tour. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

*If you booked through an external travel agent you will need to contact them directly for a refund, all refunds are in line with the agent’s cancellation policy.

Unfortunately, there is not one type of weather or sea condition that would result in cancellations. The safety and operations of our tours are based on a mixture of variables which include; swell height and direction, wind speed and direction and the probability of thunderstorms.

Depending on the activity, the boat will be equipped with a different number of people to personalize the experience as much as possible.

Whale watching: 8 people

Snorkelling: 10 people

All our vessels are launched from The Pass, Byron Bay. This is a popular surfing beach in Byron Bay and it is always very crowded. Therefore, we will always take extreme care and caution with each vessel launched. And we will ask you to pay close attention to all of our instructions throughout the entire trip, but especially during boarding.

• Cancellations made at least 7 days prior to the tour will receive a gift voucher or a full refund.
• Cancellations made between 7 days and 48 hours prior to the tour date: will receive a gift voucher only, with no refunds provided.
• Cancellations made within 48 hours of the tour start time: No refund. Please ensure to notify us as soon as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule your booking.

In the event of cancellation due to weather conditions or on our behalf guests will be offered the following options:

1. Reschedule the tour for a later date, subject to availability.
2. Receive a full refund for the cancelled tour or a gift voucher.

Please understand that weather conditions can be unpredictable, and decisions regarding cancellations will be made with your safety in mind. We appreciate your understanding. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly to info@chelonabyronbay.com.au

*If you booked through an external travel agent you will need to contact them directly for a refund, all refunds are in line with the agent’s cancellation policy.

Seeing a whale during one of our tours means that we encounter at least one whale within 500 metres and it surfaces multiple times.

Please note that humpback whales are wild animals and although we are unable to predict their behavior we do everything possible to give you a memorable experience.  We are also obliged to recognise the current Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching.

In the unlikely event that we do not encounter humpback whales, the whale guarantee allows each whale watcher a further whale watching tour (issued as a voucher) within the same year as the initial booking.

No, you can come on separate days if you like.

In the unlikely event this happens, we issue you another voucher. We repeat this process until you do see whales.

Yes, you can. It’s necessary that you call us at least two days before the new trip is booked to inform us about this change. We will need the personal data from the person who is going to do the activity.

No. We do our best to give you an as close and realistic look at humpback whales and this incurs certain costs.

No, the voucher is valid only for the year it is issued in, unless your tour is in the last 4 weeks of the season in which case we will extend it until the next season.

The whale season is from June to October.