Guide · Best time

The best time to visit Port Stephens, season by season

There is no bad month for the dolphins, but the best time to visit Port Stephens depends on what else you want: warm beaches, passing humpbacks, cool hiking weather or spring flowers.

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Editorial team, dolphincruiseportstephens.comUpdated October 24, 2026Reading time 6 min14 sources

This guide's tour Port Stephens Dolphin Cruise 4.4 (1,002 reviews) 1.5 hoursBoom net includedDeparts Nelson Bay, Wharf 1 from$33per person Check availabilityFree to cancel until 24 hrs before the start

Quick answer

01Dolphins: Any month: cruises leave Nelson Bay all year.¹
02Whales: May to November, peaking in late June and July.² ³
03Beaches: December to February, with average highs above 25 °C.⁴
04Hiking: Autumn, when the sea is often still warm enough to swim.⁵
05Wettest: May and June, by National Parks' figures.⁶

A bay you can visit all year

The short answer is that there is no closed season for the main reason you are here. The bottlenose dolphins live in Port Stephens all year, around 90 to 120 of them, and Destination NSW notes that dolphin watching cruises leave the marina in Nelson Bay in every month.⁷ ¹ So the best time to visit Port Stephens comes down to what you want around the cruise.

The climate is mild by any standard. At the Nelson Head weather station, right at the entrance to the bay, the average daily high runs from 27.2 °C in January to 17.6 °C in July.⁴ Even the coolest nights average above 10 °C, with a July low of 10.4 °C.⁴

What changes more than temperature is what the season brings. Winter adds humpback whales passing the heads, autumn brings the calmest hiking weather according to National Parks, and summer brings warm water and long beach days.² ⁵ Pick the season by your second wish, not your first.

The year

Port Stephens through the seasons

December to February

Summer

Averages of 18 to 28°C and 26 beaches.⁸
March to May

Autumn

The best hiking season, says National Parks.⁵
May to July

Whales head north

The peak is late June and July.² ³
September

Petrels return

Gould's petrels arrive in mid to late September.⁹
September to November

Spring and whales south

Wildflowers, and whales closer to shore with calves.⁵ ¹⁰

Port Stephens temperature, month by month

The Port Stephens temperature follows a gentle curve. January is the warmest month at Nelson Head, with an average high of 27.2 °C and a low of 20.2 °C; February is barely cooler at 27 °C.⁴ By April the high has eased to 23.5 °C, and by June it is down to 17.9 °C.⁴

Destination Port Stephens gives its own seasonal ranges: summer between 18 and 28°C, autumn between 12 and 24°C, winter between 9 and 18°C and spring between 13 and 25°C.⁸ ¹¹ National Parks records summer averages of 17 to 27°C and winter averages of 8 to 19°C in Tomaree National Park.⁶

Remember that the water feels colder than the air suggests. On a boat the wind adds its own chill, and one cruise operator reminds guests that it is always colder out on the water. Even in summer, bring a light layer for the deck; in winter, bring a proper jacket. Sea breezes are part of life on this coast, so a light windproof layer earns its place in the bag in every season.

Seasons

Typical top temperature by season

°C

The upper end of the seasonal temperature range Destination Port Stephens gives for each season.⁸ ¹¹

Month by month

Daylight, temperature and rain at Nelson Head

Month	Daylight (h)	Darkness (h)	High / low	Wet days	Humpbacks
Jan	14.1	9.9	27 / 20 °C	6
Feb	13.3	10.7	27 / 20 °C	6
Mar	12.3	11.7	26 / 19 °C	8
Apr	11.3	12.7	24 / 17 °C	8
May	10.5	13.5	21 / 14 °C	8	north
Jun	10	14	18 / 12 °C	9	north
Jul	10.2	13.8	18 / 10 °C	7	north
Aug	10.9	13.1	19 / 11 °C	6	passing
Sep	11.8	12.2	22 / 14 °C	6	south
Oct	12.8	11.2	23 / 15 °C	6	south
Nov	13.8	10.2	25 / 17 °C	7	south
Dec	14.3	9.7	26 / 19 °C	6

Nelson Head, at the mouth of the bay: mid-month daylight, the typical afternoon high and overnight low, and the count of days with 2.5 mm of rain or above, worked out by us from the NOAA archive of this Bureau of Meteorology station, 1991 to 2020.⁴ Season according to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, which gives the months shown.²

Choose your season

Summer, winter or spring?

Beaches

Summer

December to February

Highs: Up to 28°C
Best for: Boom net, swimming
Whales: No

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Whales

Winter

June to August

Highs: Up to 18°C
Best for: Whales, walking
Whales: Yes, northbound

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Flowers

Spring

September to November

Highs: Up to 25°C
Best for: Whales with calves
Whales: Yes, southbound

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Decision helper

When should you go?

Start from what you most want to do

I want to swim and use the boom net I want to see whales I want whale calves I want to hike Tomaree I want to avoid rain

December to February

Summer highs reach 28°C.⁸

Late June and July

The northbound peak.³

September to November

Whales come closer to shore on the way south.¹⁰

Autumn

National Parks calls it the best hiking season.⁵

October or November

The driest months, by National Parks.⁶

Autumn is always the best time for hiking and the ocean temperatures are usually still warm enough for swimming.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife ServiceSource 5

Rain, wind and daylight

Rain falls in every month, but not evenly. National Parks names May and June as the wettest months and October and November as the driest.⁶ The station figures agree: June averages 180 mm of rain over 9 days with at least 2.5 mm, while October averages 76 mm over 6 such days.⁴

Daylight swings with the seasons too. In mid-December the sun is up for 14.3 hrs, in mid-June for only 10 hrs.⁴ That matters if you are planning a dolphin cruise in the morning, a walk at midday and the dunes in the afternoon: in winter, the light runs out earlier than you expect. Use the long summer evenings for Birubi Point or a sunset walk, and in winter plan the dunes for the middle of the day.

Wind is the real variable for boat trips. A rough sea can cancel or shorten a cruise, and the longer whale trips run only in favourable sea conditions. Every cruise compared on this site offers free cancellation until 24 hours before, so book early and keep an eye on the forecast.

Checklist

Packing by season

Summer

Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses
Swimwear and a towel for the boom net
Plenty of water for the dunes

Winter

A warm jacket for the boat
Seasickness tablets for whale trips
Binoculars for Tomaree Head

Cost calculator

What your season's trips cost

Starting totals for a cruise in any season.

Dolphin cruiseAll yearfrom $33 Whale cruiseMay to Novemberfrom $60 SandboardingAll yearfrom $31

People 2

Total from$65

per traveler from $33

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Each total multiplies the lowest per-person starting price on GetYourGuide by the size of your group and converts it at the European Central Bank's daily rate; your date and option set the final amount.

Video

The Best Things to Do in Port Stephens: A Weekend of Whale Watching and Beaches

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Port Stephens in winter: whale season

Port Stephens in winter has one big draw: humpback whales. National Parks gives May to November for whales along the NSW coast, with the northbound run from about May to July.² The peak comes around the end of June and through July, when the highest numbers can be seen from the coast.³ Destination Port Stephens calls late May through August whale season.¹¹

Winter days at Nelson Head average a high of 17.6 °C in July and the nights cool to around 10 °C.⁴ That is jacket weather on the water but pleasant for walking. The Tomaree Head summit, 161 m above the entrance, is a recommended whale lookout from May to November.¹²

The southbound run, from around September to November, is when whales are often seen closer to shore with their calves.² ¹⁰ If you can choose, spring combines whales, warmer days and drier weather than early winter.⁶

Summer and the beaches

Summer is beach season. Destination Port Stephens counts 26 beaches and gives summer averages between 18 and 28°C.⁸ At Nelson Head the December high averages 25.9 °C and January 27.2 °C.⁴ This is the time for the boom net on the dolphin cruise, for snorkelling and for long afternoons on the sand.

Patrolled beaches in Tomaree National Park include One Mile Beach, Fingal Bay Beach and Birubi Beach.¹³ Swim between the flags, and stay off the Fingal Island spit when water covers it: National Parks calls it extremely dangerous.¹⁴

Summer also brings sun that is stronger than it feels in the sea breeze. Bring a hat and sunscreen for the cruise, as its listing suggests, and plenty of water for the dunes. In the school holidays, book cruises and sandboarding a few days ahead rather than on the morning.

Autumn and spring: walking weather

For walkers, National Parks is clear: autumn is the best time for hiking in Tomaree National Park, and the ocean is usually still warm enough for swimming.⁵ April at Nelson Head averages a high of 23.5 °C, comfortable for the steep summit track.⁴ Destination Port Stephens gives autumn temperatures of 12 to 24°C.⁸

Spring brings Tomaree's wildflower display, says National Parks.⁵ It is also when Gould's petrels arrive on their nesting islands at the heads, in mid to late September.⁹ October averages a high of 23.1 °C and is one of the driest months.⁴ ⁶

The shoulder seasons combine the best of the year: dolphins as always, whales passing in spring, and days warm enough to be outside from morning to evening. If your dates are flexible, aim for October or April.

Fitting the dolphin cruise into any season

Because the dolphins stay, the cruise is the one activity you never have to time. The boom net cruise lasts 1.5 hours and starts from $33 in every month it runs, and you can still back out for free up to 24 hours ahead. That makes it a good first booking for any trip: fix it early, then build the rest of your days around it.

What the season changes is the experience on board. In summer the boom net is the highlight, so bring swimwear and a towel, which the listing says are not included. In winter the net is a braver choice, and a warm jacket matters more than the swimsuit; in spring and autumn you get something of both.

If you visit in the whale months, consider doing both trips on different days rather than one long day at sea. A dolphin cruise inside the bay is calm and short, while a whale cruise heads out through the heads into open water, and the whale cruise operator suggests a motion sickness remedy and a light meal before boarding. Splitting them gives you a second chance on the water if the first day turns out windy.

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