Cat Balou Cruises
Cat Balou Cruises
5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Cat Balou Cruises are based in Eden, situated halfway between Sydney & Melbourne and a 3hr drive from Canberra. In 2014 Australian Geographic named Eden as the Number 1 whale watching destination in Australia. Cat Balou has been operating out of the Port of Eden for more than 30 years and has won numerous tourism awards. Offering two cruises on their modern 16mt catamaran'CAT BALOU' is in survey to carry 72 passengers & 3 crew. 2Hr Twofold Bay Discovery Cruises operate throughout the year. This cruise highlights the history, beauty & industries of Twofold Bay. Dolphins & Seals are frequently observed as well as sea birds. September, October & November is whale watching time at Eden and cruises depart daily to view Humpback whales on their southern migration. It is one of the few places in the world that you may see whales feeding on their migratory route. A whale guarantee is offered. Complimentary refreshments & live commentary on all trips.
Eden, New South Wales, Australia
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Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023
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(74 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
840 reviews
Excellent
766
Very good
63
Average
6
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Yolande B
Cookoac2 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Family
Bucket List ✔️
This was the highlight of our family’s week’s holiday on the south coast.
I highly recommend Cat Balou Cruises!
We were lucky enough to see lots of dolphins, a seal & whales and what a show they put on for us!
Rodger the boat dog was very friendly and entertaining.
The crew were very welcoming & friendly.
It was a great experience that I recommend everyone does when visiting this beautiful part of the world.
This was the highlight of our family’s week’s holiday on the south coast.
I highly recommend Cat Balou Cruises!
We were lucky enough to see lots of dolphins, a seal & whales and what a show they put on for us!
Rodger the boat dog was very friendly and entertaining.
The crew were very welcoming & friendly.
It was a great experience that I recommend everyone does when visiting this beautiful part of the world.
Written 17 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue C
Bristol, UK24 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Couples
The crew were so friendly and tried so hard to find whales for us. Sadly we didn't see any and they were so apologetic about it. But we saw dolphins and seals and really enjoyed it anyway.
Written 14 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon K
Brisbane, Australia5 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Couples
Excellent experience. It was the end of the season but saw a number of mothers and babies giving us an amazing display. Terrific crew with top commentary.
Written 13 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David R
Sydney, Australia90 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Couples
The best whale watching cruise I been on, the crew when very knowledgeable and friendly.
If you suffer from sea sickness make sure you take tablets before, I few people were sick.
If you suffer from sea sickness make sure you take tablets before, I few people were sick.
Written 10 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ernest2510
Berwick, Australia21 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Solo
Fabulous trip! Informative and helpful crew. We were lucky to see a lot of whales frolicking and putting on a show! A great experience.
Written 6 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JenJ1
Melbourne, Australia186 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Family
Fabulous trip! The staff were amazing and so knowledgeable. They were extremely attentive, making sure everyone was getting the best views and photos. It was especially important as my sister was visiting from the UK, she said the memories will stay with her forever. I would do this every year!
Written 5 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew Y
Berwick, Australia79 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Family
AMAZING!! Brent or Simon as skipper and Hanah doing the commentary. I went on multiple cruises and wasn't disappointed on any. From muggings by juveniles to mums and calves breaching. Some days you don't know where to look.
Apart from the Humpback whales, there's other wildlife and the beautiful coastline to see.
If you're in Eden, I can highly recommend going out into the waters of Twofold Bay and a little beyond aboard the Cat Balou.
Apart from the Humpback whales, there's other wildlife and the beautiful coastline to see.
If you're in Eden, I can highly recommend going out into the waters of Twofold Bay and a little beyond aboard the Cat Balou.
Written 2 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Renae F
Tucson, AZ8 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Couples
This whale watch was one of the best we have ever gone on and we have seen them in many places around the world! We were so fortunate to have seen probably 25-30 whales on our trip, with breaching all around us and pods fin and tail slapping all along our trail. It was amazing! We even saw some dolphins along our boat too..The captain and crew were extremely knowledgeable and obviously pationate about protecting these wonderful creatures! They were very attentive to the passengers too. The photographer took great photos for us that were free on their Facebook afterwards which was great as hard to catch them ourselves. Great tour off the cruise ship and board right off the dock there.
Written 30 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pamela s
1 contribution
Sep. 2023 • Couples
I can highly recommend Cat Balou Cruises. The experience was fantastic and the crew were amazing. Though the seas were choppy, felt very safe and able to enjoy the whole experience of seeing whales in their natural environment.
Written 29 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margurite S
Essendon2 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Family
Went on 2 cruises this week. Saw lots of whales on 1st, but had a spectacular show on 2nd, including lots of close up breaching and tail action, amazing! Also saw seals and dolphins. The crew were very friendly, informative & "Captain" Simon provided important commentary on our fragile eco system . A special thanks to Sophia, one of the photographers on board. Sophia took some amazing photos whilst explaining what to look for and lots of tips. Unforgettable day.
Written 27 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maashmallow
Lausanne, Switzerland73 contributions
Hi! I was wondering when do the tours start? Is there one per day or several?
Thanks,
Maria
35edwine
Eden, Australia37 contributions
Right now whales are plentiful as they travel down the coast. Eden have as recently as a couple of days ago had them in the bay which you can see standing at one of our many beaches. Cat Balou operates most days depending on weather & bookings but whales will still be around up to Nov/Dec.
Plohmann72
Cairns, Australia1 contribution
I was wondering what time of day the tours depart. I am arriving in September (21st) and would like to take a tour on that day if possible. Do I need to take the 3.5 hour tour to see whales or is the 2hr enough?
How far ahead should I book. I am only in Eden for 2 days and do not want to miss out!
Thank you.
RobCurl
Burlington, Canada76 contributions
I found them very responsive on email, so you may want to ask them directly in that way. Enjoy!
JanetF0201
Viernheim58 contributions
Hi,
we want to make a whale watching cruise on 20 th november 2016:
- are there still whale watching cruises at that time of november?
- at which time does the 3,5h tour start, at 9 am?
- is it only possoble to book by phone?
Thank yo very much!
Janet
JasonWCN
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hi, me and my wife plan to visit Eden on 26.11.2016 and interested in whale watching cruise. Just wondering still within whale watching season? Thanks
Scrumpti0us
Sale, Australia120 contributions
The whale watching season runs from May to November so you'd be cutting it fine. Visit the Cat Balou website where you can contact them and ask if tours are still running at the end of November.
Gill C
London, UK6 contributions
We hope to visit Eden from UK 9 November 2016. We are interested in a whale watching cruise. Is there a cruise on this date and if so, at what departure time? Can we book from UK by e-mail?
FengXueSG
Singapore, Singapore1,558 contributions
Cat Balou operates daily for whale watching in October and November, as long as weather permits. They don't have email booking. You have to call them to book (0427 260 489). You will pay in cash before you onboard on that day.
KEB59
Perth, Australia9 contributions
Hi , Can I have the contact details for Madura Road house and the tariff for one night in on the 12 January 2015 out the 13 January 2015. Thabks Karen
AndrewM3800
Bendigo, Australia1 contribution
Hi - do the cruises go out during the week or weekends only?
Tara I
Eden, Australia8 contributions
Both depending on how many they get and if the weather is good