I made a very last minute decision to go to the Ningaloo Reef after finding out that it was Whale Shark Season. I am so happy I decided to go because it is home to my favourite memory of my Australian trip! As it was very last minute, I found everything quite stressful when I found out there was only one room available in the whole of Exmouth and all the camping sites had gone as well! Therefore, I wanted to share some tips for a more stress-free way to visit the Ningaloo.
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Top Tip 1: Book Everything in Advance
Firstly and possibly most important is to book everything in advance. This includes everything from accommodation to activities, such as swimming with Whale Sharks/ Manta Rays/ Humpback Whales, and car hire. I know this is a very obvious tip but the limited accommodation took me off guard, with only one hostel in the area and a handful of expensive hotels/ Airbnbs that fill up fast.
I also got extremely lucky. I hadn’t booked onto a Whale Shark tour, hoping that I would see them whilst scuba diving but somehow managed to find one spot with a tour group. When speaking to the tour group they mentioned that they were booked up for the next 2 months and I was super fortunate to bag a space! I would have been devastated to miss this opportunity so definitely book in advance! This was without doubt one of the most amazing things I have done. The company (Ningaloo Whaleshark Swim) were super professional and the way you swim with the sharks is very ethical, with only a certain number of people allowed in the water at all times and guides are there to make sure you don’t get closer than 3m to the sharks. You are not allowed to swim head onto the sharks, only at their sides for minimal disturbance to their usual behaviours and there is absolutely no feeding of the sharks.
Top Tip 2: Hire a Car in Exmouth
Car hire while in Exmouth is a great idea as it allows you the option of snorkelling without booking a tour. The best snorkelling beaches near Exmouth are Oyster Stacks and Turquoise Bay. I went to both of these places and had to book a tour group because I didn’t have a car. I would have loved to have spent all day in the water though so was jealous of everyone with cars! The reef is just off the beach so you don’t have to swim out far before you start seeing Stingrays, Sharks, Octopus, Turtles and lots of tropical fish.
Oyster Stacks should only be visited at high tide as the reef is super shallow and you risk damaging the reef and injury to yourself.
Top Tip 3: Best Time to Visit the Ningaloo Reef
The best months to visit the Ningaloo are March to November. From March to May it is Whale Shark season but coincides with Australian school holidays so it gets very busy with tourists and Australians alike. April to November is Manta Ray season and finally the Humpbacks are around from June to October. Due to the location of the Ningaloo Reef, the weather is warm all year round and blue skies are often on the forecast. Therefore, the winter months are not as cold as the rest of Australia and is a perfect place to go all year round. Having said that, the summer months of December to February tend to be quite hot with high humidity and a few storms/ rain clouds in the sky.
Top Tip 4: Road-trip from Perth to Exmouth
If you have time, allow for around 2 weeks for this adventure, I recommend hiring a car from Perth and driving up the coast to explore other amazing places like Jurien Bay, Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Carnarvon, Coral Bay, Sandy bay, Oyster Stacks Snorkelling Area and Turquoise Bay.
For travellers that do not have this much time to spend here, there is the option of catching a flight into Learmonth airport, the closest to Exmouth. In this case, unless you have a hire car, book the airport shuttle bus into town as the airport is around 30mins drive from Exmouth and there are no public buses and limited taxis in this area. Exmouth Bus Charter is the main service here and bookings can be made on their website here.
Top Tip 5: Explore Cape Range National Park
An easily looked over place is Cape Range National Park. As the Ningaloo Reef is the biggest attraction here this place is easily overlooked but is a stunning place to visit if you are well prepared.
Top Tip 6: Bring a Waterproof Camera and Enjoy
Lastly, have fun and enjoy the magic of the largest fringing reef in the world! Explore all that the snorkelling locations and scuba diving sites have to offer while being respectful to marine life and avoiding touching any coral/ wild animals. For me this place is a big rival for the overcrowded Great Barrier Reef with lots more big marine life to see.
Enjoying your time in Western Australia and don’t want it to end? Check out my itinerary for a 10 Day Road trip from Perth to Albany.
Want to explore an amazing part of Australia? Check out my 14 Day Tasmania itinerary.
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