Coral Bay
The unique thing about Coral Bay is the access to the Ningaloo Reef, where visitors are actually staying in the Marine Park. Coral Bay is an all year round destination. It is unaffected by the wet season further north, stingers or crocodiles. Plus the consistent warm weather temperatures ensure visitors can swim in the crystal clear waters all year round.
There is an abundance of marine life throughout the year, with turtles, whale sharks, humpbacks and manta rays visiting at varying times and attracting a high level of tourist interest.
There are a range of tours and activities to choose from. Stunning coral viewing, great snorkelling and dive sites, swimming with mantas, dugongs and whale sharks (seasonal), reef safaris, sports fishing, pristine beaches to explore, sailing, quad trek bike tours and lots more!
A mecca for divers
Did you know that the 260 kilometre long Ningaloo Reef is the largest coral fringing reef in Australia?
Only 100 metres offshore in some places and easily reached from the towns of Exmouth and Coral Bay, is the spectacular Ningaloo Reef. Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, no boat is required and no reef tax payable!
All you need is a snorkel set to discover the delights of the Ningaloo Marine Park. There are 480 varieties of tropical fish and some 200 species of coral to gaze at, plus a distinct lack of crowds or big-scale tourism and definitely no reef pontoons around! For the ultimate lazy day by the reef, go to Turquoise Bay and plonk yourself on the gentle current which allows you to drift over the coral without any effort whatsoever!
Whale Shark Encounters
What an absolutely mind blowing day! As we headed towards the whale shark everyone on deck buzzed with excitement and anticipation, ready to jump into the ocean with the world's largest fish. Go, go, go our leader yelled as we leapt in, bubbles surrounding us, and then all of a sudden there it was, huge, magnificent and graceful… a whale shark the size of a bus! I couldn’t help but scream underwater with excitement. Any fears I had held earlier disappeared as I swam along with this amazing creature, awestruck by the sheer size and the fact I was living this once in a life time experience.
Back on deck everyone chatted excitedly about their shared encounter, smiles from ear to ear. But it didn’t end there, off the boat we jumped again to swim with the awesome creature we had just met. Four different whale sharks in one day!
Whale sharks, vibrant corals, colourful fish and marine life, what more could you want on the day of a lifetime. Thanks Three Islands Marine Charters for a day I will never forget.
Ningaloo Reef is also where you can have close encounters of a giant kind.
Words from UK backpacker, Eric Sutherland
“Surely nothing can be that big, that close, yet never threatening. It is so beautiful, so gentle, and so close you could reach out to stroke it. It's the whale shark, the biggest fish on the planet, no argument. With its great rounded head, six foot wide mouth and vast brown and dotted back, it was the most stupendous sight I had ever seen in many years of underwater exploration. On a three day trip we jumped six to eight times each morning and the biggest whale shark we saw was 11 metres long. We also saw a baby - irresistible! If you have a sense of wonder and can marvel at the grace and beauty of a fish that is a leviathan of its kind, you must visit Ningaloo Reef. You will have an experience that will stay with you forever.”
Diving Western Australia
Boat dives, pier dives, shore dives, drift and night dives, Western Australia has lots of places to do just that. Everything in fact from shipwrecks to whalesharks at the world famous Ningaloo Reef. Or how about the untouched Recherche Archipelago south of Esperance with underwater visibility of up to 40 metres? Then there are the splendid corals of the Abrolhos Islands with their history of the Batavia Shipwreck, or the magnificent Rowley Shoals reef off the Kimberley coast.
Here in the West dive groups are small and personal, so no long queues or man-made pontoons. The reefs in Western Australia are also virtually untouched, so there are lots of colourful varieties of coral and tropical fishes around. Oh yeah, did we mention there’s no reef tax either!
Dive Perth
Rottnest Island is regarded as the best location to dive of any capital city in Australia; no other Australian capital city can boast such a stunning recreational facility right on its doorstep. Rottnest Island is without question a premier diving location, with its caverns, historical shipwrecks, great visibility and water temperature ranging 19-24 degrees Celsius. With more than 200 individual dive sites to choose from Rottnest offers pristine diving conditions regardless of weather.
Once underwater the diver can experience massive limestone caverns and tunnels interspersed with meadows of seagrass, sponges and soft corals. The island is mainly limestone reefs and has a combination of temperate and tropical species of fish , Nudibranch, Wobbegongs, Old Wife, Magpie Marwong, Stingaree, Blue Devil and rays, to name a few!. Warm subtropical currents ensure that the marine environment surrounding Rottnest is one of the richest on earth. Rottnest Dive can show some of the spectacular dive spots around the island.
The island itself is a rich mosaic of history and culture interspersed with varied recreational activities, to ensure an interesting interlude for even the most jaded traveller. The quiet bays and scenic walks offer something for everyone and after the excitement of the morning diving are charming contrasts. Deep, blue water can be found at the West End of Rottnest Island, although, diving is not always possible due to conditions. Some of the world's finest beaches and bays can be found at Rottnest Island, providing a spectacular venue for snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing and swimming.
Please remember that with a 10,000 kilometre coastline, there are different seasons and weather conditions to contend with affecting the northern, central and southern areas of the state. You will need to be careful therefore, where and when you choose to dive.
List of Dive Sites in Western Australia
Learn to Surf!
Join the grommets, goofy footers, natural footers, cripples, boogie boarders and check out the surfie chicks that seem to be ever present around all the cool surfers!
Drop in on all the local surfers and find out how quickly you’ll get to know them. Then take off on a big trip down south and surf the pristine areas of Yallingup and Margaret River where you will find some of the best surf locations in Australia.
City Beaches
Check out the metropolitan beaches which are at their best in winter, but be warned, you’ll be sharing the waves with heaps of local grommets (young surfers)! Some of the more popular spots include Trigg Beach, Watermans, Scarborough and Cottesloe.
Up North
If you head north, there are some great spots like Kalbarri’s Jacques Point, Geraldton, and if you have a four wheel drive go 144 kilometres past Carnarvon for the Red Bluff.
Down South
Look out to the Indian Ocean from the main surf-spot car park at Margaret River or Yallingup and become totally awestruck by the power of the waves and by the courageous surfers harnessing the powers of nature to ride those waves to the shore.
Lessons
Surf lessons are available up and down the coast of Western Australia. The beginners class generally concentrate on water safety such as identifying rips and currents plus enough basic surfing techniques enabling you to go out and catch a few waves. Once you enter the water, the instructors are right there with you, giving advice, helping to get over that extra-big wave, and most importantly providing you with encouragement. It is always total disbelief and exhilaration when you catch that first wave and stand up.
You really must try it for yourself. The exhilaration and the raw energy of the ocean combine to give you a truly memorable experience. Not only that, but anyone can do it. So pack your bathers and towels, everything else is supplied, and make some waves.
Swimming
The famous Aussie Surf Life Savers put out yellow and red flags to show us where the safe swimming spots are. Swimming between them is strongly advised as dangerous rips do occur with little warning. If you find yourself being pulled out to sea by a rip, swim across (parallel to the beach) not into it, and then let the surf carry you back to the beach. Alternatively, if you are getting tired just float on your back and raise an arm so the life savers can see that you need help. Save your energy and don’t panic!
