Location & Details

The boarding wharf for our Whale Watching, Dolphin Cruise, Coastal Discovery & Richmond River Cruise is in Ballina, which is a 30 minute drive south of Byron Bay and a 15 minute drive from Lennox Head. We board in front of the Wharf Bar and Restaurant at Lance Ferris Wharf, 12 Fawcett Street, Ballina

*The marina we depart from for our Snorkeling tour & Brunswick Heads River Cruise is in Brunswick Heads, at the Brunswick Heads Boat Harbour, which is a 20min drive north of Byron Bay. Please click here for further details.

Although we board in Ballina, we travel along the coast between Ballina & Byron Bay, depending on where the whales are at the time. Each cruise is unique with where we go and what we see.

If you do not have your own transport to our boarding location, please enquire with Ballina Byron Airport Transfers to book a $35 transfer. Alternatively, there are regular public buses travelling through each town. Our Ballina Byron map shows distances between close places.

Please refer to the below image of parking recommendations. The cruise is 2hrs so please choose parking accordingly. It is not paid parking in this area, only restricted by amount of hours.

Important: Please arrive 15minutes prior to your departure time. A safety briefing will be done, any passenger not present for the briefing will forfeit their ticket and will not be able to join the cruise. The boat cannot wait for late passengers.

Please refer to the below advice if you are prone to Seasickness.

• Take over the counter medication Kwells (less drowsy),  Travacalm or Promethazine an hour before the trip, ginger tablets can also be helpful to prevent and treat motion sickness.
• Try wearing an anti-nausea band. Some people like “Sea Bands.” They are bracelets with dots that purportedly touch acupressure points on your wrist. They have never been proven effective, but some people swear by them.
• Be clean and sober. Even a mild hangover can easily degenerate into seasickness, besides increasing various diving risks. Likewise, fatigue predisposes you to seasickness.
• Eat something. Opinions vary on this one, but most people feel better with a little bland food on their stomachs. Bread, bagels, pancakes, etc. are better than eggs and bacon. Coffee and orange juice are acidic and may irritate your stomach. Eat a little, not a lot.
• Relax. Anxiety contributes to seasickness. Those who are frightened by the ocean and the movement of the boat, or anxious about the diving later in the day, are more likely to become seasick.
• Plan ahead. All of these techniques work best if you apply them before you need them — to prevent getting motion sick in the first place. So take precautions early.
• Tell your captain that you’re sensitive at the start of the trip, and give updates if you start to feel queasy. Usually he can allow you to move to the rear of the vessel where you will be less affected.
• Watch for symptoms. Early signs include chills, headache and frequent burping.
• Look towards land and occupy your mind with the exciting views and encounters.