The sea temperature at Whitsundays (Whitehaven Beach) today is 25.1 °C (77 °F) – refreshing to pleasantly warm water, ideal for most people. The usual October average is 25.2 °C. The forecast for the next 3 days is 24.6 to 24.8 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea has warmed from 22.7 °C to 25.1 °C. Swimmable all year – the sea averages 22 °C or more in every month. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27.9°C / 82.2°F | 28.6°C / 83.4°F | 29.0°C / 84.2°F |
| February | 28.3°C / 83.0°F | 28.6°C / 83.5°F | 29.1°C / 84.4°F |
| March | 28.1°C / 82.6°F | 28.4°C / 83.1°F | 28.7°C / 83.7°F |
| April | 27.1°C / 80.8°F | 27.4°C / 81.4°F | 27.8°C / 82.1°F |
| May | 25.0°C / 77.1°F | 25.3°C / 77.5°F | 25.7°C / 78.3°F |
| June | 23.4°C / 74.0°F | 23.7°C / 74.6°F | 24.0°C / 75.2°F |
| July | 21.8°C / 71.3°F | 22.6°C / 72.7°F | 23.1°C / 73.6°F |
| August | 21.8°C / 71.2°F | 22.5°C / 72.4°F | 23.1°C / 73.5°F |
| September | 23.1°C / 73.6°F | 23.4°C / 74.1°F | 23.7°C / 74.6°F |
| October | 24.5°C / 76.0°F | 25.2°C / 77.3°F | 25.6°C / 78.1°F |
| November | 26.1°C / 79.0°F | 27.0°C / 80.5°F | 27.6°C / 81.8°F |
| December | 27.6°C / 81.7°F | 28.0°C / 82.3°F | 28.2°C / 82.7°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26.6°C / 79.8°F | 27.1°C / 80.8°F | 27.5°C / 81.5°F |
| February | 26.4°C / 79.5°F | 26.9°C / 80.5°F | 27.3°C / 81.2°F |
| March | 26.3°C / 79.3°F | 26.9°C / 80.4°F | 27.3°C / 81.1°F |
| April | 24.8°C / 76.7°F | 25.3°C / 77.6°F | 25.7°C / 78.3°F |
| May | 22.6°C / 72.7°F | 23.1°C / 73.6°F | 23.6°C / 74.4°F |
| June | 21.0°C / 69.8°F | 21.5°C / 70.6°F | 21.9°C / 71.4°F |
| July | 20.1°C / 68.2°F | 20.5°C / 69.0°F | 21.0°C / 69.7°F |
| August | 20.5°C / 68.8°F | 21.0°C / 69.7°F | 21.4°C / 70.5°F |
| September | 21.8°C / 71.3°F | 22.4°C / 72.3°F | 22.8°C / 73.0°F |
| October | 23.8°C / 74.8°F | 24.4°C / 76.0°F | 24.8°C / 76.7°F |
| November | 25.2°C / 77.4°F | 25.9°C / 78.5°F | 26.3°C / 79.3°F |
| December | 26.1°C / 78.9°F | 26.7°C / 80.0°F | 27.1°C / 80.7°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
Whitehaven Beach holidays
Whitehaven Beach runs for about 7 km along the east coast of Whitsunday Island, in the Whitsunday Islands off Queensland, Australia. It lies within Whitsunday Islands National Park, and its fine white silica sand and turquoise shallows can be reached only by boat, seaplane or helicopter.
Beaches
Most day boats land at the southern end of Whitehaven Beach, where there is a picnic and camping area but no shops, so visitors bring water and sun protection. At the northern end, Hill Inlet is a tidal estuary where shifting sand and water form swirling patterns, best seen from the lookout on Tongue Point. Chalkies Beach on Haslewood Island, across the channel, is a quieter spot visited by some tours. On the mainland, the lagoon in Airlie Beach is a free public swimming pool by the sea. Marine stingers can occur year-round, particularly in the warmer months, so a stinger suit is recommended for swimming.
Things to do
Many cruises combine Whitehaven Beach with the Hill Inlet lookout and snorkelling in the sheltered bays of the Whitsunday Islands. Trips from Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island also go out to the Great Barrier Reef, where pontoons on the outer reef offer snorkelling and diving, and scenic flights pass over Heart Reef. Multi-day sailing trips explore several bays, with anchorages chosen by wind and tide, and skydiving over the islands and bareboat charters are other ways to see the Whitsundays.
Weather and best time to visit
At Whitehaven Beach the sea stays above 22 °C / 72 °F all year, even in the coolest month.
The Whitsundays have a tropical climate. The dry season, roughly May to October, brings milder days, lower humidity and generally settled weather for sailing and reef trips. The warmer, wetter season from about November to April is hot and humid, with heavy showers, and overlaps the cyclone season. Trade winds can make crossings to Whitehaven Beach choppy on windy days.
Hotels and where to stay
There are no hotels on Whitsunday Island; the only overnight option at Whitehaven Beach is a national park campsite, which needs a permit. Most visitors stay in Airlie Beach on the mainland, with its bars and the marina where day cruises leave, or on Hamilton Island, which has resorts, its own airport and boats to Whitehaven.
Signature hotels: Beach Club (Hamilton Island) · Coral Sea Resort (Airlie Beach)
Airport and getting there
Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) near Proserpine is about 35 minutes by road from Airlie Beach, and Hamilton Island Airport (HTI) has flights from several Australian cities. Day cruises, fast boats and seaplanes to Whitehaven Beach leave from Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island, and ferries link the mainland with the resort islands.