From May to October, you can spot whales along the coastline of Phillip Island and Bass Coast on the Whale Discovery Trail. Take a walk, ride or drive along the discovery trail to spot whales and learn about the natural environment.
1pm - 4pm
Set sail on a 3-hour winter dolphin & whale adventure venturing past the sheer cliffs of Cape Woolamai and along Phillip Island’s attractive southern coastline.
Book Tickets
Departs San Remo Jetty
8:30am - 12:30pm
A 4-hour cruise that circumnavigates Phillip Island in search of the Humpback and Southern Right whales, visiting Seal Rocks, with regular dolphin and albatross sightings. Includes morning tea and lunch.
Book Tickets
Departs Rhyll Jetty
Open Daily 12-8.30pm
Dine at Pino’s Trattoria around Island Whale Festival and admire a pop-up art installation in their dining spaces featuring limited edition ocean inspired pieces.
Wed 1 - Sun 5 July
Sip on four taster sized beers [150ml], each paired with the story behind the brew.
From 8.00am
Enjoy an immersive and unique experience as you step into a cozy wood-fired sauna. Relax with soothing heat and aromatic cedar scent and be transported by beautiful Whale Music.
Thurs 2, Fri 3, Sat 4 & Sun 5 July
Where: Cowes Jetty
Cost: $45 per person. Adults only
10am - 4pm
Fun hands-on ceramic, plaster and paper clay painting at the Clay & Co Studio
Where: Clay & Co Studio, 4 Shorland Way, Cowes
Cost: From $10 - drop in
10am - 4pm
There is so much fun for the whole family at the Festival Experience Hub this year at the Berninneit cultural centre in Cowes PLUS our new Little Whales Explorer Tent packed with kids activities! Grab your Festival Experience Hub Pass & enjoy the fun!
Daily Pass: $25 (Family – 2 adults + up to 4 children 15 & under) - $10 (single entry 16+)
Weekend Pass: $45 (Family - 2 adults + up to 4 children 15 & under) - $25 (16+)
10am - 4pm
Soak up the festival vibes and enjoy a weekend of live local music!
Proudly supported by Wildlife Coast Cruises
Where: Festival Hub - Free Drop in
10am - 4pm
Your little ones will love our super cute face painting - choose from whale designs and Phillip Island animals.
Where: Little Whale Explorers, Festival Hub
Cost: $10 - $15 each
10am - 4pm
Paint plaster sea creatures, create whale sculptures & make paper crafts.
Where: Little Whale Explorers, Festival Hub
Cost: from $10 - drop in
Friday 10.45-11am - 12.45-1.45pm - 3.30 - 4pm
Saturday 10.45-11am - 11.45am-12.45pm - 3.45 - 4pm
Sunday 11.30am-12pm - 1.45-2pm - 2.45-3pm
Be swept away by the sights and sounds of Millowl’s marine life.
Cost: Included in your Festival Experience Pass
Location: Festival Hub - Theatre - drop in
Friday 11am - 11.45am - 2pm - 2.45pm
Saturday 2pm - 2.45pm
Sunday 10am - 10.45am
Learn from palaeontologists in a fun, hands-on drawing workshop to bring back to life Victoria’s ancient whales and sharks. Ages: 7+
Where: Berninneit - Co working space (upstairs)
Cost: $15 (+ booking fee)
11am - 3pm
Come and see some of the most beautiful, innovative and affordable art and craft works by the local people of the Bass Coast. Show a printed or digital copy of the Phillip Island Gallery whale logo and choose a FREE unique handmade keyring with any purchase. All keyrings have been handmade by members of the Phillip Island Gallery.
Cost: FREE - drop in
Location: Phillip Island Gallery, 119 Settlement Road, Cowes
Friday 12pm-12.45pm
Saturday 10am-10.45am
Sunday 3pm-3.45pm
Drop in and see some of your favourite ABC Kids programs on the big screen!
Cost: Included in your Festival Experience Pass
Location: Festival Hub - Theatre - drop in
Friday 1pm - 1.45pm
Sunday 2pm - 2.45pm
Meet people working in marine science, research and conservation, and discover the real-world pathways that can lead to a career caring for our oceans.
Cost: Free - booking required
Location: Festival Hub - Co working space (upstairs)
Saturday 10am - 10.45am
Sunday 11am - 11.45am
Join a wildlife photographer & author to discover how your photos can help researchers track endangered Southern Right Whales, while enjoying spectacular imagery of these remarkable whales
Where: Berninneit - Co working space (upstairs)
Cost: $10 (+ booking fee) - donated to Southern Right Whale research
10am - 3pm
Local artist studio with handcrafted whales available for viewing and purchase or book a mosaics workshop.
Sat 4 & Sun 5 July
Location: 8 Mountainview Avenue, Ventnor
9.30am - 10.30am
Join our panel of experts with decades of experience both within Australia and overseas for a discussion on how, when and where opportunities exist for a career in marine science. Not academically minded? No problem, we have solutions for you too!
Where: Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club
Cost: Free - Bookings Recommended
10am - 11.30am
This is David Attenborough’s greatest message of hope - revealing 100 years of incredible ocean discovery and why there’s nowhere more important for a life on Earth than the ocean.
Run time: 1 hour 25 mins - Rating: PG
Included in Festival Hub Pass - first come first seated
Where: Berninneit Cultural Centre - Theatre
9am - 10am
Rug up and join us on the intertidal platform at San Remo as we search for and photograph Sea Slugs.
Where: San Remo -(meet at carpark near bridge)
Cost: Free - bookings required
11.00am - 11.30am ; 12.00pm - 12.30pm
Let the roaming constellation whale & beautiful music composed by Timothy Coghill transport you from the vibrant rock pools at our doorstep to the vast expanse of the universe.
Where: Festival Hub - grounds
Cost: Free
11am - 2pm
Come and join us for range of whale crafts to celebrate the Whale Festival.
Presented by: Myli Libraries
Cost: Free - drop in
Where: Phillip Island Library, Berninneit
11.30am - 1.30pm; 2.30pm -4.30pm
Hear about the whales of Victoria and how to spot them from local researchers followed by a guided whale-spotting experience, kids' activities featuring real whale bones, sounds, and games, and an opportunity to talk all things marine with our team.
Where: Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club
Cost: $17 per adult, $12 per child (under 15)
Bookings Required (opening soon)
12pm - 12.45pm
Orca populations across the Indo-Pacific have highly variable characteristics but remain largely unknown, collaboration can help us shed light on these apex predators.
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre - drop in
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
1pm - 1.45pm
The sea cliffs of the surf coast of Victoria tell the story of the oldest whales in all of Australia; among them, the tiny ancestors of the largest animals of all time.
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre - drop in
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
2pm - 2.45pm
A short film & panel conversation exploring kelp ecosystems & sustainable seaweed farming within the UNESCO-listed Western Port Biosphere Reserve.
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass - Drop in
6pm - 8pm
Be guided by the in house artists at Clay & Co Studio to create your very own ocean inspired creation while sipping on bubbles!
Where: Clay & Co Studio, 4 Shorland Way Cowes
Cost: $85pp inc all materials and glass of bubbles - bookings required
7:00pm-9:40pm
Dive deep into the world beneath the waves, where up-close encounters with curious marine creatures come to life on the big screen
Screening Thursday 2nd, Friday 3rd & Sunday 5th July 2026
Cost: Adult 16+ $28, Concession $23
Dr Wally Franklin has studied eastern Australian humpback whales in Hervey Bay for thirty-years. He summarises what has been learnt about the incredible annual humpback whale migration
When: 3:00pm - 3.45pm
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Dive into the world of Australia’s orcas - our most powerful and mysterious ocean mammals. Discover what we know, what we don’t, and how science, fisheries, and citizen sightings are helping uncover the secrets of these apex predators.
When: 1.30pm - 1.45pm
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Samuel McLennan has hand built a sailing vessel entirely out of debris found in the marine environment in southern Tasmania.
He has put his life on the line and is currently on the journey from Hobart to Sydney (via Melbourne) to clean-up, raise awareness and inspire people to change.
When: 1:30pm-2:15 & 2:30pm-3:15
Cost: Free - booking required
Location: Festival Hub - Stringybark Room (upstairs)
Sip on four taster sized beers [150ml], each paired with the story behind the brew.
Where: Ocean Reach Brewing, 47 Thompson Ave, Cowes
When: Friday 9 July - Sunday 13 July
Where: Ocean Reach Brewing, 47 Thompson Avenue, Cowes
Ever wondered how scientists track wild dolphins? In this fun, hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how we identify individual dolphins by their fins and estimate populations using real research techniques! Perfect for curious secondary students and an insight intro to the Cetacean Sisters program held on Phillip Island and the Mornington Peninsula.
When: 11am - 11.45am
Where: Berninneit - Stringybark Room (upstairs)
Cost: $15 (+ booking fee)
Discover the fossil secrets of Megalodon and Livyatan—Victoria’s ancient ocean giants. Join palaeontologist Ben Francischelli as he reveals epic prehistoric predators and the citizen science discoveries rewriting our state’s ancient marine story. Suitable for all ages.
When: 11.00am - 11.45am
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Join the team in the Phillip Island library to celebrate the Whale Festival with art and craft activities for all the family.
Presented by: Myli Libraries
When: Sunday 13 July - 11am - 12pm
Cost: Free - Bookings open 23 June
Where: Phillip Island Library
Explore Australia’s strangest ancient whales with palaeontologist Ruairidh Duncan. Discover the bizarre, toothed ancestors of today’s baleen whales and why they vanished—leaving behind clues in the fossil record as to how modern whales evolved and just how weird things got in Australia. Suitable for all ages.
When: 10.00am - 10.45am
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Join us for a fun crafty hands on session making your very own Whale Inspired Hat or headband. The scissors, paints, glue and gems are all on hand for this fun activity.
Where: Festival Hub - Activities Room
When: 10am - 4pm
Cost: $20pp
Drop-in
Come along and view arty whales, all different made by local artists. Engage with the creators of the mosaic and ceramic creatures.
Cost: FREE - drop in
When: Friday 11 July 5pm - 7pm, Saturday 12 July 10am - 4pm, Sunday 13 July 10am - 4pm
Location: Creative Arts Station, 119-133 Settlement Road, Cowes
Tap into your creativity by designing your own unique whale on wooden cutouts. Every child will receive a whale and have access to a variety of paint pens to bring their creation to life in the vibrant atmosphere of the Whale Festival.
Open Daily: 10am - 4pm
Cost: Included in your Festival Experience Pass
When: Friday 11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July
Location: Festival Hub
Discover coastal-inspired creations, featuring the work of talented local artists.
When: Open daily 10am - 4pm
Cost: FREE - drop in
Where: Clay & Co, 4 Shoreland Way, Cowes
Meet the team of DRI researchers and volunteers and ask questions about their work, getting involved and careers in marine science.
When: 10am-4pm
Where: Festival Hub
Included in your Festival Experience Pass
Snorkel the Great Southern Reef without getting wet in this unforgettable virtual reality adventure!
When: 10am - 4pm
Cost: Included in your Festival Experience Pass
Location: Festival Hub
Step into the heart of the Island Whale Festival! It’s your go-to spot for immersive hands-on activities, live entertainment, creative workshops, and family-friendly fun all weekend long!
Grab your Festival Experience Hub Pass and dive into the action. There’s something magical waiting for every age and stage!
When: 10am - 4pm
Friday 11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July
Weekend Pass 11-13 July: $30 (Family – 2 adults + up to 4 children 15 & under) - $12 (single weekend pass)
Day Pass: $15 (Family – 2 adults + up to 4 children 15 & under) - $5 (single entry)
Where: Festival Hub
Dr Barry McGovern from the Pacific Whale Foundation talks about insights into the research conducted in Hervey Bay over the last 40 years and where future research might take us
When: 2.30pm - 3.30pm
Where: Festival Hub
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Killer Sperm Whales were some of the biggest prehistoric predators that ever existed. Come along and hear how Ben is on the hunt to find their 5 million-year-old remains underwater.
When: 11.30am-12.15pm
Where: Festival Hub
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Hear about the whales of Victoria and how to spot them from local researchers in our 50-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute guided whale-spotting experience, kids' activities featuring real whale bones, sounds, and games, and an opportunity to talk all things marine with our team.
When: 11am - 1pm and 2pm - 4pm
Where: Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club
Cost: $15 per adult, $10 per child (under 15)
Join Ruairidh to hear about the evolution of the Baleen whales & the weird shapes and sizes they came in.
When: 10.30am - 11.15am
Where: Festival Hub - Theatre
Cost: Included in Festival Experience Pass
Come along and join Ranger Sue for some fun, learning, and conservation at the winter whale festival! Let's make a difference together and show our support for the majestic whales that call our oceans home
When: 11am, 11.30am, 12pm, 1pm, 1.30pm and 2pm
Where: Cowes Foreshore Beach
Cost: $15 A - $10 C
Letina Russell will guide participants in quantum meditation with sound activation and healing.
When: Sunday 7 July - 10.01am - 11.30am
Where: Presented by - Phillip Island Library, 91-97 Thompson Ave, Cowes
Cost: Free - bookings required
Join our panel of experts with decades of experience both within Australia and overseas for a discussion on how, when and where opportunities exist for a career in marine science. Not academically minded? No problem, we have solutions for you too!
When: 9.30am - 10.30am
Where: Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club
Cost: Free - Bookings Recommended
Enjoy an immersive and unique experience as you step into a cozy wood-fired sauna. Relax with soothing heat and aromatic cedar scent and be transported by beautiful Whale Music.
When: 5 sessions - Saturday and Sunday
Where: 493 Berry’s Beach Road, Ventnor
Cost: $35 per person (adults only)
Bookings essential
Wildlife Coast Cruises proudly presents our free live music stage with some of our talented local artists!
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday - 10am - 4pm
Where: Festival Hub
Cost: Free
Your little ones will love our super cute face painting - choose from a whale, dolphin, seal or penguin.
When: 10am - 4pm
Cost: $10 each
Learn how DEECA studies endangered Southern Right Whales using the unique patterns on their head & find out how you can join the WhaleFace community & contribute to this important research.
When: 1-1:45pm
Where: Festival Hub
Bookings Recommended
Join Brooke from the Island Cookie Box to create your own whale cookie masterpiece! Yum!
When: 1pm & 1.30pm
Where: Festival Hub
Bookings Recommended
Free Winter Whale Fun for Kids! A fun activity for the whole family making origami whales at the Phillip Island Visitor Information Centre.
When: 11am-1pm
Where: Phillip Island Visitor Information Centre
Drop In
Learn about the spectacular reefs around Australia’s southern coastline, while you explore Victoria’s biodiverse Marine National Parks, ‘snorkelling’ with dolphins, seals & rock lobsters.
When: 11am, 1.30pm & 3.30pm
Where: Masonic Hall
Drop In
Join local Community Artists to create your own whale crown incorporating natural materials & recycled cardboard. The crown will celebrate whales & recognises the importance of caring for the living world.
When: 11am-12pm & 2pm-3pm
Where: Festival Hub
SOLD OUT (check on the day for cancellations)
