Yes, booking is essential to avoid disappointment. However, if last minute seats are free? We can take walk-on bookings direct at the boat. To see current availability for upcoming tours - see our tour calendar here

Yes. Our Southern Ocean Adventure & Seal Island Tour from Victor Harbor has a minimum age of 2 years. Child ticket price for these tours is 2-15 years. This is due to life jacket sizing and also the ride can get bumpy with swell & chop. We also advise that parents with young children are seated at the rear of the boat where the ride is much smoother. Please arrive early & advise the Captain if you wish to be seated towards the rear of the boat.

The front 5-rows have seat-belts & is where the most motion is felt on tours, for safety passengers need to be able to sit in the seats with the ability to firmly reach their feet to the sole/floor of the boat. Therefore we have a height restriction of 1500mm for passengers in the forward section of the vessel.

Our Sea Wirrina tours along the western Fleurieu tends to be a more protected coastline, with calmer seas. Therefore our Sea Wirrina tour is suitable for the whole family and we do not have age restrictions for this particular tour. Child Ticket price for this tour is 2-15 years. And we have a free-of-charge Infant ticket 0-2 years.

The Big Duck tours at Victor Harbor are not recommended for pregnant women. We are in the Southern Ocean and conditions can sometimes be bumpy with the swell and chop. Tours on our Sea Wirrina cruises are much calmer and are suitable for pregnant women.

See our booking terms & cancellation policy here.

No, unfortunately the Big Duck Boats are not wheelchair accessible.

Our vessels have a large inflatable ring around the boat that needs to be stepped up onto from a jetty, there are grab-rails either side and a small step inside the vessel. Tours operate from the Granite Island Causeway, so accessibility is reasonably close (~300m along Causeway & 350-500m from car parking areas). Passengers need to be mobile enough to negotiate steps and board the vessel. Please see the images below regarding access. Boarding at Wirrina Cove is very similar via floating pontoon.

The vessel is subject to move around (up/down & side to side) with wave surge & swell. Step heights can be dependant with the tide heights and weather conditions on the day of travel.

Covid restrictions have now eased and there are no restrictions or mandates for our tour operation. For cancellations due to covid related issues, our standard policy now applies. See our booking terms & cancellation policy here.

We don’t use ‘Companion Card’ in conjunction with our tours. We can however, offer Companion card Holders + their Guest(s) a special discounted rate on our regular tour options.

Bookings will need to be made through our Office 08 8555 2203.

To see businesses in South Australia that participate with ‘Companion Cards’, see the companion card website.

Yes, cameras and binoculars are a good idea if you would like to bring them, please be aware salt spray can occur on the boat.

Yes! Please contact us by email bookings@thebigduck.com.au, using the enquiry form or phone 08 85552203 to discuss a private charter. We also have more information regarding charters here

Yes! You can buy gift vouchers here.

The Big Duck is a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) and can handle most ocean conditions very well. We use the last forecast (day prior to tour departures) provided by Met-Eye & Bureau of Meteorology to predict likely sea conditions for tours and If the weather is unsuitable for the tour, we will text & email customers and offer the choice of re-scheduling or/ refund.

The Southern Ocean can be wild at times! and due to the nature of operating ocean tours in a rugged environment, we do unfortunately have to cancel a proportion of tours each year with rough ocean conditions. Safety is always our priority in looking at forecasts. We do our best to try & re-schedule tours where we can to allow passengers to experience our tours, but sometime nature doesn’t like to play fair… We happily refund you, if we have to cancel and if you can’t make another time.

Often if the weather on our Victor Harbor tours is unfavourable, we are still able to operate at Wirrina Cove & can offer a transfer onto these tours (or vice versa)….. Should your tour be cancelled due to the weather, we will offer you all the options available.

Its also worth mentioning - we don’t even look at the rain forecast!

When we look at the forecast conditions for our Ocean Tours - we look at a range of parametres, compare data and make decisions on cancellations based on sea conditions, swell, wind strength, direction & wind wave. The vessel is open-air with a canvas canopy.

Waterproof jackets are provided on board the boat.  Temperatures out on the ocean are often 10 degrees cooler than on the land, even on a summers day it can be cool.  Please rug up in winter during whale season.

The million dollar question! We have been running tours in Victor Harbor since 2011. Some years we have seen up to 15 whales each day for 3-4 month period. Other years we have been lucky to sight one whale per week.

The Whale Season is generally July - September (tending to be the most reliable Whale Watching months).

We often have sporadic Humpback Whale sightings early in the winter season. However, it’s Southern Right Whales that stay & winter with us on the South Coast.

300m. This is the minimum approach distance for all vessels in the Encounter Bay Restricted Area, established by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR). Sometimes whales approach ‘The Big Duck’ affording a closer view.

The coast around Victor Harbor is an important breeding ground for the Southern Right Whale. The Big Duck Boat Tours is a licensed whale watching vessel and contributes to education, whale and cetacean conservation. It is a privilege to enter the breeding sanctuary and to view these majestic animals from the waterline within their ocean habitat.

As the Big Duck Tours operate in the Southern Ocean, the tours can be at times bumpy and take on a bit of spray…. We recommend having meals/drinks prior or after the tour.

Being in open ocean, sea sickness can be an issue for a small number of people. If you think that it might be a problem for you? we recommend taking an over the counter ginger-tablet or/ travel-sickness medication at least 1-hour prior to your tour.

Further tips in minimising the chances of sea sickness symptoms:

• Selecting a seat in the back third of the boat; there is a lot less movement towards back of the boat.

• Avoid looking through cameras or binoculars.

• Keeping your glasses/sunglasses clean & clear at all times

• Keeping your body temperature on the cooler side.

• Stay away from acidic foods prior to the tour.

If you have any concerns, please let our staff know.

The Big Duck has two 12.5 metre Naiad Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIB), purpose built for Southern Ocean conditions & considered “the 4WD’s of the sea”. Both vessels are powered by 3x 250hp Yamaha Engines, capable of speeds up to 40 knots (25 knots maximum on tours). The vessels have full sun protection, comfortable seating for 38-40 passengers and a toilet on board. There's even more space to move about the boat to view dolphins, seals and whales and the boat can run quietly on one engine. The Big Duck vessels are equipped with the highest level of safety equipment and spray jackets are provided. our two vessels are:

• ‘Kondoli’ means Whale in the local first nations Ngarrindjeri language, built 2020

• ‘Pungari’ means Seal in the local first nations Ngarrindjeri language, built 2022

Both our vessels have been custom built for The Big Duck Boat Tours by Kirby Marine in WA

As we operate inside the Encounter marine Park we are unable to take any pets on our tours.

The only exception are registered Guide DogsItem description