Come explore the wonders of Mornington Peninsula’s marine life

"The world's finest wilderness lies beneath the waves," said renowned marine life artist Wyland, famous for painting life-sized whales onto the sides of urban buildings during the 1980s.

Here in Mornington Peninsula, we share the waters with some of nature's most beautiful marine animals. From graceful humpback whales to friendly dolphins and playful seals, there are plenty of oceanic creatures to see and admire.

Winter is in fact one of the best seasons for seeing many of these wonders of the sea in their natural habitat, as many of them begin their migratory journey north of Antarctica.

Book in your accommodation to stay in Mornington Peninsula this winter and begin your own exploratory journey through the waves!

Humpback whales

June and July are the best months to go whale spotting. Several boat charters operate in the peninsula, taking visitors up close to these peaceful giants. However, due to the shape of the bays in the region, often whales can be seen even from shore, especially from high vantage points like the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. 

"Humpback Whales come into the Bay for a rest in shallow waters as they make their way up from Antarctica. They are most likely to be seen in and around Port Phillip Bay as they pass through on their migratory path to Queensland," said Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) Senior Compliance Officer Samantha Moore. 

DELWP have in fact set up a fun and interactive hashtag for connecting all whale-spotters on social media. If you happen to see a whale from a lawful and respectful distance, snap a photograph and post it to Instagram with #DELWPwhalewatch to see an entire gallery of whales in the Mornington Peninsula region. 

Bottlenose dolphins

In the summer months, many tours allow passengers to dive into the water and snorkel or swim alongside these majestic beings – sure to make memories to last a lifetime. Most interestingly, scientists have studied the brains of these intriguing beings, complete with MRI and CT scans, to find that dolphins are in fact exceptionally smart and sentient.

They have the second largest brains among all living organisms in the world, bigger than that of chimps yet smaller than humans, according to research published in the journal Science in 2010. Swimming beside them is therefore like sharing an experience with some of the most intelligent breathing beings to ever reside on planet Earth. 

However, there are also options for those who'd like to stay dry as cruises depart for lengthy three hour trips to give you plenty of time to spot them frolicking through the waves. Dolphins are known to follow in the wake of the boat engine, springing up out the water and dancing along the white spray. Many lovely photographs can be taken from this area of the boat. 

Australian fur seals

Many of the tourist packages in Mornington Peninsula combine dolphin and seal cruises, so you get the best of both worlds. National Geographic notes these animals have amazing eyesight and sharp hearing, even though they have small ears.

As for the rest of their size, though, these mammals can grow fairly big – up to 3.1 metres and weigh as much as a whopping 317 kilograms. In fact, the Australian Museum notes our fur seal is the biggest of all other fur seal breeds.

When you see them, you can tell males and females apart as the blokes are bigger and also have coarse hair forming a dark mane around their whiskers, like you can see in this sweet picture of two very loved up seals:

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