Whale watching season is a popular time to visit Australia's Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is on the whale highway! And offers easy access to see the humpback whales.

Each year more and more humpback whales are seen on the migration from Antarctica. They head up from the colder Antarctic ocean during winter to breed and give birth to their calves in Queensland's warmer waters.

Whales migrate along both coasts of Australia east coast and west coast. Because the east coast is more populated with us humans, it tends to hog the limelight for whale watching! In the Gold Coast alone there are 5 whale watching boats that go out daily during the whale watching season.

The season starts with first humpbacks travelling north during May. We hear of the sightings further south in Sydney, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay. The first whales are usually spotted off the Gold Coast towards the middle to end of May each year. The last ones head south to the Antarctic around the middle of November. The main season is from June to November.

The Gold Coast has so many options for whale watching, it is fast becoming the most popular spot for watching the humpbacks.

Whilst Hervey Bay is famous for the whales frollicking during the breeding season, the Gold Coast actually enjoys a longer whale watching season.

The season can be broken down into three stages. Each stage has a slightly different profile for whale watching.

There is not one part of the season that is better than the other, there are just different things to see at different times.

The Gold Coast whale cruises tend to run from 1 June through to 30 October. Weather and whales permitting!

There are three main sections of the whale watching season in the Gold Coast. They are not exact and overlap, but you will get a bit of an idea of what you can expect to see.

Early in the season the whales are travelling north to the breeding grounds. The young males can be quite frisky and often put on a show for us Gold Coasters.

By the middle of the season there are whales travelling both north and south. Those travelling south have done what they came for and are now heading back down to the Antarctic feeding grounds for some yummy krill!

Towards the later end of the season we see the final whales travelling south and home for the summer and this is when the mothers and calves can been seen. After giving birth the mothers and calves stay in the warm water to allow the calves to grow and gain strength before the long trip south.

By the time the whales get back to the Antarctic they have made a 5000km round trip!

Since the whales travel so far, the least we can do is go out to cheer them on their way!

Most of the Gold Coast whale watching tour operators support various whale conservation groups. A trip on one of these boats is not just giving you an amazing experience, but also helping to ensure that these magnificent creatures are protected for the future.

To get the most out of a whale watching cruise it is best to be prepared!

• What to wear whale watching
• How to take photos of whales including how NOT to take them!