Guest Reviews

      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 628 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Woody Andrew 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Hannah Price 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Awesome day and and excellent value for money. Family friendly vessel and loads of whale sightings. Enthusiastic and helpful crew.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Anita Gardner 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Fantastic day out! The crew were all wonderful and entertaining. Jadon ensured everyone had a fun time on board, Denise made great food (including vegan options) and Keith went above and beyond to help us all see lots of whales.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Glen Ogilvie 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great day - good skipper crew boat and food
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Tanja Harrasser 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had an absolute delightful day! Not only thanks to amazing whale sightings, time to enjoy the magic, but also a fun and extremely knowledgeable crew. Highly recommend a full day tour like this one with this company!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Sharon Stibilj 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. What a great day out on this whale watching tour with Freedom Ecotours. Easy pickup from our park by Charlie, and delivered directly to the Marina. Fabulous vessel, great morning and arvo tea, along with lunch and drinks available to buy on board. Great crew and we were so lucky to be entertained by some beautiful whales. I highly recommend this company for any tours out of Hervey Bay.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Jenny Sloan 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Had an amazing day yesterday whale watching. Saw lots of whales with an exceptional commentary from the skipper
Crew were great. Thoroughly enjoyed our day
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   India Muir 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Everything about this tour was great. They were organised, provided good food and plenty of it, some great commentary and we saw lots of whales. The weather was perfect for us. 10/10
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Alison Gosper 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Loved the trip and service from the team.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Mariana Podgorski-Guyett 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. It was our first time whale watching Freedom Eco Tours at Hervey Bay, and I must say it was an amazing experience! We were out for the full day and there were whales all across the bay! The crew was awesome, friendly and knowledgeable and the meals provided were also tasty and plentiful! Thanks for the amazing adventure Freedom crew - see you all next year! 🐳🐋🐬🤗😁😎
  
 
  
  
 
 
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      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 823 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Geraldine H 
 
 
 
 Verified Close encounter with the whales. Knowledge, experience, and respect for the humpbacks of Hervey Bay. Our experience with Freedom Whale Watch was magnificent! From the humorous yet professional briefing, to the comfort and versatility of their boat, and their experience and knowledge that allowed them to facilitate an exciting experience! We have been on whale watching tours around the world, and on our own yacht, and the captain and crew at Freedom Whale Watch easily provided the best experience I've ever had. We went on one whale-watch tour with them and without hesitation booked a second four days later. Over numerous encounters, we never affected the whales' behaviour other than to stimulate curiosity. The captain was respectful both of the whales and other whale watching boats, and made the most of every sighting; whether it was to enjoy mother and calf antics, say hello to a nosey teenager, or follow a rambunctious chase pod. Freedom 3 is a stable, fast boat with plenty of room to move and several levels that allow you to find your own space. The morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea was fresh and very welcome. We were in good hands! I strongly recommend you book a cruise with Freedom III, even if you have limited experience on the water.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Renny I 
 
 
 
 Verified Excelleny Skipper and crew could not have been more friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable. Food and drinks were just right for this type of adventure. Boat was perfect, comfortable, clean and an excellent platform from which we saw pod after pod of whales, including schools of dolphins and a loggerhead turtle. Highly recommend.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Carol B 
 
 
 
 Verified Amazing bucket list experience on a great boat. We had an amazing day! Everything about the tour was fantastic. Fabulous boat. Plenty of seating both inside and out. It moved quickly with very little noise which made looking for the whales very quick and pleasant. The captain was great. Tired his best to find pods and manoeuvre the boat as close as allowed for the best viewing. Engaged with the passengers to get them to help him find the pods and gave information about the whales at appropriate times without talking too much or all day. He did all this with a great sense of humour. The crew was awesome, nothing was too much trouble. They waited on us hand and foot, serving food and collecting used cups and plates throughout the day. The food was also great. Morning tea- scones with jam and cream, muffins. Lunch- lovely array of salads and cold meats with some delicious, hot, freshly cooked chicken wings. Afternoon tea- more muffins and bikkies. Tea coffee and water were available all day. Other drinks and alcohol available at an extra cost. You could order special dietary foods when booking for a small additional cost. We were very happy to see they didn’t use disposable cups and plates but washed them onboard. We were lucky enough to see numerous whales up close and personal, with two in particular swimming around our stationary boat for approximately an hour giving us a spectacular show. Value for money for this tour was incredible. Thank you to all crew for an unforgettable experience.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   JA 
 
 
 
 Verified Amazing experience! Amazing experience altogether. Mark is a great captain, very knowledgeable about the region and marine life (especially whales, of course). He gave us a lot of background information that helped us understand and appreciate better what we were watching. The crew was also great, very kind and helpful, keeping us safe, fed and hydrated. The pick up and drop off services was also flawless. As for the your itself, we were left speechless by the beauty of it all. The whales approached the boat so many times that even Mark was impressed. They are stunning, beautiful creatures, and we were fortunatr to see the so close in all their majesty, with great weather and steering. We cannot recommend this tour enough!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   C00kiem0nster77 
 
 
 
 Verified Great way to see whales in Hervey Bay I went with this operator twice, once on a Sunday & the following Wednesday. Had a great time both trips. The first day, we were lucky enough to experience a variety of whale behaviours, including pectoral fin slapping, breaching, spyhopping. We also had some bottlefin dolphins swim with us for a bit, and a whale come & interact with the boat for a short time. The second time I went, we saw whales doing lots of pectoral fin slapping, but in the middle of the day we had the best experience when a whale came over to our boat and hung around for 50 minutes, checking us out. It was so curious to check us out, and bobbed around, rolled over, trumpeted, etc. What I liked about this operator was the hours - 9:30-3:30 (be there at 9:10), so it was 6 hours out and about, did not feel rushed at all, plenty of time to try find whales which is obviously not guaranteed as they are wild animals, but good chances if you go in whale season. They also provided morning tea, lunch & afternoon tea. The food was decent and you could buy drinks on board. A can of softdrink was $5. A souvenir cap was on special for $5. The crew were friendly, helpful and knowledgable. Most people sit up front, but you can walk all the way around the boat as well on both levels. It was a 'small' boat with maximum capacity of 48, and the front had some staggered seating so chances of seeing things was higher than a more crowded boat in my opinion. There are 3 toilets on board, a bar and inside area. They also offer local area pickup for no added cost.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Stacey S 
 
 
 
 Verified Excellent Amazing whale watching experience. Excellent customer service and catering. Boat clean and tidy too with plenty of room to move.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Antionette M 
 
 
 
 Verified Whale watching Great day ,awesome staff , lovely food
  
 
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   Footprints564238 
 
 
 
 Verified Amazing value for money Absolutely the best experience seeing all the different groups of whales close up. We had 2 whales play around the boat for over 1 hour. The skipper moved all over the place to make sure we had the best time. I wish I could give them 10 stars 🌟
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Climber63803135463 
 
 
 
 Verified Excellent Tour The tour was excellent, seeing many whales. Staff were friendly & knowledgeable, and the lunch was plentiful. We even saw a dingo on K'gari beach.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Denise W 
 
 
 
 Verified Whale watching 🐳🐋 Hervey Bay, Queensland Had a wonderful day with Mark and his team. Very friendly and welcoming. Outstanding service all day, delicious food, too. Would recommend this to anyone. (Mobility issue with accessing downstairs toilets - but my friend and I were allowed to sit in the Captain's cabin. This was much appreciated and proof of their willingness to be helpful to keep the customers happy.) We saw many whales and calves during the day, and the weather was perfect! Great value and experience! ,🐳🐳🐳👍👍🐋🐋🐋😀
  
 
  
  
 
 
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PLEASE LEAVE YOUR REVIEW

We welcome your feedback

If you would like to tell the world to come to Hervey Bay and see the whales with us, please leave a Google Review. You will see from the dates on these testimonials that most people leave their reviews on Google now! But we are still proud of them and grateful to our guests when they take their time to leave a review. It really helps our business. If you would like to tell us directly about your experience, good or bad, you are welcome to email andrea@freedomecotours.com.au or complete the form below. We welcome constructive feedback so we can improve continuously. Thank you.

YOU GUYS JUST ROCK

I won a voucher in a raffle for this whale watch….And I have to admit that it is the BEST prize that I have ever won in my life!!!
Sue and Keith and their staff could not have done ANYTHING else to make our day more perfect…They looked after us so well and they fed us just the most delicious home made scones with jam and cream for smoko then the most awesome lunch of home cooked chicken and salads, then beautiful fruit and cheese platters for afternoon tea!!
I took my 2 grand daughters and they just had the best time of their lives…They could not believe that there were so many mothers and baby whales! So…listen up everybody…If you want to see whales and be pampered these are the blokes to do it!!! Freedom III …YOU GUYS JUST ROCK!!!
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By Kaye from Hervey Bay, QLD

Will Go Again!

What a great day my wife and I had. The food was great the hosts were excellent and best of all saw plenty of whales. A fantastic day out and one we would do again if up that way.
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By Stuart from Towradgi, Wollongong

Nothing was too much trouble…

Thank you so much for the brilliant day out whale watching yesterday. The whales were absolutely amazing. And while they’re definitely the stars of the show the crew aboard Freedom 111 took the trip to the next level. Helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining. Nothing was too much trouble. And the food was sooo yummy. Highly recommend Freedom Whale Watch for an experience not to be missed.
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By Wendy Clancy from Maryborough, QLD

A must do trip from Hervey Bay during the Whale migration season!

Everything about this trip was superb. ‘Freedom Whale Watch’ is obviously a highly professional, well organised and friendly company. From our hotel pick up to our return everything ran smoothly and to time. The boat was beautifully maintained and the numbers on board were small enough to make it a very enjoyable experience. Staff couldn’t have been more helpful. The food was plentiful, tasty, fresh and of a high quality so our compliments to the chefs. Tea and coffee was also available throughout the day.

Our trip was in mid October and nearing the end of the whale migration period, but we were very fortunate to have seen many whales with several very close to the boat. The Captain was excellent at not only spotting the whales, but ensured everyone knew exactly where to look and kept us amused and informed throughout the trip. He went out of his way to find as many pods as he could and was always quick to act on any sightings by passengers.

All in all an exceptionally enjoyable day and therefore a must do trip from Hervey Bay during the Whale migration season.
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By Dr. Anil Rastogi

Fabulous Freedom III!

Wow! Another absolutely fabulous day! Not only was I floating around on a boat, but Jeff and I were out Whale Watching on the fabulous Freedom III. Brilliant team of people who looked after us exceptionally well, and made sure we saw lots and lots of whales!

We decided to do the whole day option and were glad we did because the whales did not really start appearing until about lunch time. I am privileged enough to have seen whales in their feeding ground in Alaska, but here they were at play and up to all sorts of antics. Jeff did the most incredible job capturing some on camera, not an easy thing because you just never knew when they would do something amazing! Too many photos to put up here, but have included a few.

The end of the cruise took us close to the shoreline of Fraser Island .. thanks to the great commentary from our Skipper Keith, we learned today three things. Firstly it was Prince Charles that had the island listed as a heritage site, and secondly that Fraser Island is no longer Fraser Island. It has now officially been renamed K’gari, pronounced “gurri” and meaning paradise, which is the original name used by the Butchulla people. Third, Fraser came from the name of an English woman who was held captor there for 5 years (quite some time ago!).

A trip to K´gari is on our bucket list. Not sure when it will happen, but I don’t suppose it will coincide with the visit of Harry and Meghan on 22nd October!!!!

Oh, and that ski slope you think you can see are actually sand dunes on K´gari … pure white silica sand!
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By Ann (sailed 2018 season)

Great Value for Money!

July 13th, 2019 was the first day of the whale season, so I was not expecting to see many whales, but we did! We saw 3 different pods of whales. On the way back to the marina, two whales were spotted so the Captain made a detour so that we could watch the playful whales. It was just awesome! The whales swam to us and then under and around the boat and seem to enjoy the attention!! The crew were very informative, friendly and professional. The morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea was delicious! The trip was a great day out and value for money!
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By Gary and Jackie (sailed July 2019)

We would very much like to thank Keith, Ivan and Natalie, the crew of Freedom III‎, together with Neil who picked us up and later returned us to our overnight accomodation, for their outstanding 10 out of 10, 5 Star Whale Watch customer service and experience from start to finish on our recent trip out of Hervey Bay on the 14 August 2019.‎ ‎

The level of comfort, pre-briefing, effort and information‎ throughout our full day on board was a credit to this family run business and worthy of the highest praise. The on board food and refreshments were also of the best for being of the utmost freshness with the standard of hygiene exemplary. All this at a price hard to match for the attention to detail afforded to all onboard in today’s competitive tourist market.

Thank you one and all for an unforgettable day.

Kindest regards,
Bill Ward and Lynn‎ Douglas
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By Bill and Lynn (sailed Aug 2019)

We just wanted to pass on our personal thanks to Keith, Toni & Natalie for making our day out on Friday 9th August 2019 absolutely memorable. Keith just kept on finding whales for everyone to enjoy all day and his personalised, cheery, yet fact-filled commentary was great and not hype-filled tourist rhubarb we have experienced on another Whale Watching trip further south. Toni and Natalie were very passionate about their work and this was clearly evident especially with their enthusiasm for ‘calling up’ the whales. Your food on board was both plentiful and amazing.

My Wife was especially grateful for the extra care and concern shown by Natalie for Robbie’s mobility around the boat as she took a tumble last year on Tangalooma during her 70th birthday and has lost a lot of confidence on her feet since and she was very impressed by Natalie’s mindfulness. Toni & Natalie both ensured all guests had the best experience possible and made every effort to assist the one poor German Lady who struggled the whole day with motion sickness. Keith made sure the Vessel as stable as possible during our lunch break to minimise upset, which was a really good effort with the swell & chop that was about. I commented to my Wife about the excellent condition & general presentation of the Vessel too, as a former boat owner, I know how very hard it is in a marine environment especially when used daily to keep things looking fresh and free from old stale boat aromas.

In short, your team are awesome and we would love to come back again and will recommend Freedom to others as we have already done on Trip Advisor.

Many thanks again for a great experience, keep up the good work.

Kind regards,
Phil & Robyn Mackenzie
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By Phil and Robyn (sailed Aug 2019)

My wife and I are relatively new residents of Hervey Bay and today we went on our first whale watching tour. This is something that Laura has wanted to do for a very long time and we can’t thank the crew enough for their diligence, generosity with their time and all round friendliness and professionalism. The meals were great and the day was truly memorable. I showed a couple of photos to Toni and she asked if I was willing to forward them onto you, so here they are. I have a feeling that I will be pressured into going again very soon. Please pass on our gratitude to everyone involved!
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By Mike and Laura (sailed July 2019)

This trip was by far the best I have been treated in 75 years. Not expecting to see much we saw loads of whales. You stayed out with engines running for one and a half hours over time to please us which was so generous of your time and costs. Freshly prepared food was topped up throughout the day as needed. Your friendly mature attitude is lovely. And being in Oz their was no bucket on exit or announcement for tips. All for last day heavily discounted price. Still amazed. 100% five stars
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By Keith (Sailed Oct 2017)