Best time to visit Exmouth, WA: When is Ningaloo whale shark season?

The Ningaloo Reef whale shark season runs from March to August. The best time to visit Exmouth, Western Australia, is in the middle of that period.

Swimming with whale sharks – the biggest fish on earth – is one of the best experiences Australia has to offer. It is done on the Ningaloo Reef, off the coast of Western Australia. But the Ningaloo Reef whale sharks aren’t there all year round, so book your Exmouth whale shark tours for the right time.

Best time to visit Exmouth: Ningaloo Reef whale shark season

Ningaloo boat tour operators generally run whale shark swimming tours between March and August.

That is stretching the Ningaloo Reef Whale shark season somewhat, however. You’ve got a better chance of sightings between April and July – but it can be seriously hot in April. So the best time of year to swim with whale sharks on the Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth is May or June.

In recent years, the swimming with big ocean things season has been extended, as government permission has been given to swim with humpback whales. These arrive, on their annual migrations, at a different time of year to the whale sharks, although there’s often some crossover in August.

8 amazing Exmouth experiences to book in advance.

Swim with whale sharks – using a spotter plane for maximum shark snorkelling time. This is an experience you’ll genuinely remember forever.
Ningaloo wildlife adventure – see much more than just the whale sharks.
Full day kayaking tour – stopping to snorkel at parts of the reef the boats can’t reach.
Sunset cruise – with dolphin-spotting, snacks and drinks.
Cape Range trekking adventure.
Dive on the Ningaloo Reef.
Swim with humpback whales – they come after whale shark season is over.
Kayak and snorkel with turtles.

A whale shark on the Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Photo courtesy of Tourism Western Australia.

Ningaloo Reef humpback whale season

The official humpback whale swimming season comes at the end of whale shark season. It runs from the start of August to the end of November, but sightings get patchier towards the end of that period. It also gets much hotter, and there are fewer tourists around, so the chances of the tour being cancelled are considerably higher.

Aim for August or September if you want to swim with humpback whales on the Ningaloo Reef. Tours run from the Western Australian town of Exmouth, which is a two hour flight or a long old drive up from Perth. For the rest of the year, there are always Ningaloo Reef kayaking tours and microlight flights.