Bremer Bay

Bremer Bay is a village of a few hundred people on the south coast, with white beaches and a sheltered inlet, and until recently that was all. Then researchers confirmed what fishers had reported: each summer, orcas gather in numbers over the Bremer Canyon, a deep submarine gorge about seventy kilometres offshore where upwelling concentrates food, in what is now recognised as the most reliable orca aggregation in Australian waters. Tour boats run from January to April, a long day out with high sighting rates, and sperm whales, beaked whales, pilot whales and sharks are also seen. Outside the season the village returns to beaches, fishing and the western edge of the Fitzgerald River park.

What you actually see

• The orca aggregation - killer whales over the Bremer Canyon in summer.
• The other cetaceans - sperm, beaked and pilot whales on the same trips.
• The beaches - white sand and clear water around the village.
• The park edge - the western entrance to Fitzgerald River National Park.

When to go

January to April for the orcas, which are the reason most visitors come; outside that window there are no tours. Trips are full-day, leave early and are cancelled in poor sea conditions. Accommodation books out during the season.

Honest expectations

The trip involves several hours at sea in open water and seasickness is common. Sightings are high but not guaranteed. The tours are expensive. The village has very limited services and accommodation.

Nearby

Fitzgerald River National Park adjoins to the east; Albany lies west.