FREEDIVE WITH WHALES WEEKEND IN NORTHERN NSW

UNFORGETTABLE INTERACTIONS, LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS

Every year, thousands of humpback whales navigate their way along Australia’s East Coast to warmer waters.

In partnership with our friends at Blue Seafaris, we’re giving you the best possible chance to freedive with humpback whales, whilst giving the animals absolute respect.

On top of these incredible whale interactions, we’ll also be taking part in plenty of ocean-themed activities and workshops in our EPIC beachy share-house, complete with hot tub!

  • An Exceptional Humpback Whale Encounter

  • Guest Testimonials

  • Shared Room

  • Accommodation Hot Tub

  • Guest Testimonial

  • The Awe of a Humpback Whale Experience

  • Group Accom

  • Guest Testimonials

  • Humpack Whale

  • Group Kitchen

  • Guest Testominals

  • Couples Ensuite Room

TRIP DETAILS

  • For us, freediving is about joy, play, discovery, and feeling 100% alive. We create experiences around bucket-list marine wildlife encounters — the kind of moments you’ll be proud of for the rest of your life.

    We’re super selective when we choose our destinations, suppliers, and team. Every trip aligns strongly with our values.

    So, when you decide to book a trip with us, here’s what you can expect:

    • Dedicated 24-hour engagement from facilitators. You won’t be left to figure out your own dinner plans or solve issues alone.

    • Convenient and secure booking process. No random bank transfers here.

    • Regular communication and information about your trip.

    • Professionally qualified, experienced, and insured facilitators (no volunteers or trainees).

    • Licensed, legitimate operators chosen for their safety records and values.

    • A LOT of silliness and fun. Expect games, dancing, human pyramids, dirty jokes, and Fishbowl...

    Perhaps these things seem obvious. However, we can confidently say that right now we are running the safest and most legitimate freediving retreat operation in the world. How do we know? We research constantly AND listen to customers and staff members. We’re serious about being the best freediving operation on earth.

    • 2 nights of accommodation in an epic shared guest house in Casuarina, complete with our own hot tub.

    • 2 x 3-4 hour whale swimming adventures with whale experts and industry leaders from Blue Seafaris*.

    • Deeply Relaxing Breath and Yoga Workshop.

    • Freediving Breath-Hold and Mental Relaxation Workshop with Immersia Founder, Bella Massey.

    • Ocean-themed games and activities to connect with your retreat crew.

    THINGS TO NOTE:

    Humpback Whales are wild animals, and ocean conditions are unpredictable. While we will do our best to create the best chance of an amazing interaction, we can't control nature or guarantee whale interactions. We also respect the animals and never force an interaction. Please refer to the cancellation policy for advice on bad weather.

    Transport isn't included, but we'll set up a group chat for ride-sharing.

  • Shared Room (per person)

    • Earlybird: $999 / Regular: $1199

    • Twin room with open-plan ensuite. Please be prepared to collaborate with your roommate as rooms are open-plan and communication is necessary for bathroom privacy.

    Private Room (per person)

    • Earlybird: $1200 / Regular: $1400

    • Queen room with open-plan ensuite.

    Couples/Friends Luxe En-suite (per person)

    • Earlybird: $1250 / Regular: $1350

    • Large queen room with open-plan ensuite including freestanding bathtub.

    Group Discount

    • Book in a group of 3+ and save 10%. Discount applied at checkout.

  • 2024

    • Friday 26 July - Sunday 28 July 2024 (SOLD OUT!)

    • 2 x Whale Swim Adventures

    • Amazing Shared Accommodation in Casuarina with a Hot Tub

    • Freediving Breath-Hold and Relaxation Workshop

    • Ocean-Themed Games

    • Deep Relaxation Stretch and Breath Workshop

  • Everyone's welcome - both snorkelers and freedivers! If you're new to freediving, fret not; snorkeling encounters with wildlife are equally mesmerizing. And who knows, you might just fall in love with freediving!

    Important: All participants must be competent swimmers and complete a medical questionnaire prior to booking confirmation.

  • There are so many freediving retreat options out there. Let's make sure we are a good fit!

    • We pride ourselves on having the best customer experience in the freediving industry, so you can expect a smooth booking process, lots of communication, and dedicated 24h engagement from the team on retreat.

    • We’re a value-led company and everything we do reflects these values; please check them out!

    • We won’t force animal interactions for photos.

    • We rise early, dive a lot, have a lot of fun, and go to bed pretty early. It's probably not the one if you want to party hard.

    • The majority of our guests are in the 25-45 age range, but we host all ages 18+, so please expect variety!

    • Our customer base is primarily Australian, but we love hosting guests from all over the world.

    • We’re LGBTQIA+ friendly.

    • We really, really, really value great group dynamics and we are grateful for respectful, tolerant, drama-free people!

    • The atmosphere is often playful and silly - dancing, games, human pyramids, sports, dirty jokes. If this isn’t your vibe, there may be a better fit for you…

    We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, supportive, and super friendly place. Our guests are all treated equally. However, if you feel you may need additional levels of personal support, please contact us first for an honest discussion about how we can facilitate this.

  • We get it, life is unpredictable. Here is our policy if something happens or you change your mind. Please think carefully before booking as we cannot make exceptions to this policy.

    • Deposit: Non-Refundable.

    • Cancellation of trip up to 13 weeks before: Refund or Credit less Deposit.

    • Cancellation within 8-13 weeks of start date: Credit of 50% less Deposit to be used within 1 year.

    • Cancellation within 8 weeks of start date: No Refunds or Credits. Name change may be available.

    Please read our Terms and Conditions here. All guests are required to have comprehensive travel insurance to cover them in the event that they are sick or unable to attend with late notice.

Who Are We?

from our founder, Bella

For me, freediving travel embodies the joy I’ve found in this sport: feeling alive, connected, and high on awe.

I want to create experiences around bucket-list marine wildlife encounters, and moments you’ll be talking about when you’re 100.

We’re super selective when we choose our destinations, suppliers and team. Every trip aligns strongly with our values.

I KNOW that our trips aren’t cheap. We’re not here for low-cost, barely-there freediving meetups and we’re not ‘content creators’ looking for a free vacation.

So, when you decide to book a trip with us, here’s what you can expect:

  • Convenient and secure booking process

  • Regular communication and information

  • Professionally qualified and insured facilitators (no volunteers or trainees)

  • Licensed, legitimate operators chosen for their safety records and values

  • Dedicated 24h engagement from facilitators on retreat. You won’t be left to figure out your own dinner plans or solve issues alone.

  • A LOT of silliness and fun. Expect games, dancing, human pyramids, dirty jokes and our signature Immersia Olympics…

  • What our previous guests say:

    I went to Narooma and out to Montague Island with Immersia and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. The (many many) seals were super curious and playful and wanting to interact with us. The group were all super nice and the staff were incredibly welcoming, helpful and professional. It felt fun, safe and well thought out. Couldn’t recommend this more—I’ll be going back for sure.

    Jonnie

    Freediving with Seals in Narooma 2024

  • What our previous guests say:

    Loved every minute of it. Had a wonderful time whale diving, chasing turtles, doing yoga and improving breath ability. Well organised and no bad eggs in the group. Would recommend to anyone to try at least once!

    Andrew

    Whales Byron Retreat 2023

FAQs

  • Earlybird pricing applies between:

    5 July, 7pm - 7 July, 7pm

    (Sydney, Australia Timezone)

  • Only when we sell out a retreat do we add more dates.

    If you want to see different dates, please help us by:

    • letting us know which dates you'd like to book

    • sharing the trip with your friends! Help us spread the word so we can fill it up and add more dates!

  • Adults (18+) with confidence and experience in the ocean.

    You don’t need to be a certified freediver to attend! However, you must be a competent swimmer or snorkeller.

    The conditions can be unpredictable so you may need to be prepared for choppiness and current.

    We also require all guests to complete a medical history form before attending. Certain medical conditions may require doctor’s permission before diving.

    • Option 1 - Drive. There is parking available at the accommodation.

    • Option 2 - Fly. The closest airport is Coolangatta. As transport is not included we aren't offering airport pickup but we recommend to organise a rental car share with other guests.

    Note: We will create a Whatsapp group 2 weeks before the trip so that everyone can organise car sharing.

  • Yes! When you book you will see the option to add on freediving gear.

    Please note, we will only rent weights and weight belts to certified freedivers.

  • One of our core values is "Don't sh*t where you eat". We are very serious about Marine Conservation and Animal Welfare.

    When we interact with wildlife on any of our trips, we do so in a way that does not negatively impact the animals. Everything takes place on the whale's terms. If it chooses to interact with us, we will be stoked. However, we will never chase or force the interaction.

    We are also very careful in selecting our partners to work with. Blue Seafaris is led by long time experts with years of experience with cetaceans. The team prioritise the welfare of the whales. We trust them deeply.

    Many believe that we should 'leave wildlife alone', and for good reason. However we sadly live in a world where coastal nations will continue to exploit the oceans for economic gain regardless. Ecotourism, such as whale swimming, provides an avenue for communities to benefit from the ocean in way that:

    • inspires the public to protect the ocean

    • doesn't harm any animal or ecosystem

  • At the moment we are not offering this package but hold tight - we may add an option for this once places are sold out!

  • Yes! groups of 3+ people will receive a 10% discount. When you book, add the number of people in your party and the overall rate will reduce by 10%.

  • No. We've tried to keep this trip as affordable as possible because we know that the cost of living is causing many of our community to struggle!

    Once we have guest numbers confirmed we will create a Whatsapp group to organise car sharing, renting, etc.