What are the best things to do on the Ningaloo Reef?
The best things to do on the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia include swimming with whale sharks, snorkelling with humpback whales and kayaking between white sand Indian Ocean beaches.
The Ningaloo Reef off the coast of Western Australia is one of the most extraordinary sights in Australia. The rugged outback of the Cape Range National Park gives way to white sand Indian Ocean beaches, then the turquoises and teals caused by the reef just 100 metres off shore in some places.
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.
Getting to the Ningaloo Reef
Getting to the Ningaloo Reef is the hard part. Flights from Perth to Exmouth, the gateway town, take two hours. Otherwise the drive from Perth to Exmouth takes the best part of 13 hours. Ouch. The alternative access point is Coral Bay, 153km south of Exmouth. You can explore Charles Knife Canyon in the Cape Range National Park on the drive from Coral Bay to Exmouth.
The headline attractions of the Ningaloo Reef are the whale sharks. Whale shark season on the Ningaloo runs between March and August. Keep your visit between April and July for more certain sightings, however.
Best things to do on the Ningaloo Reef: Whale shark swims
Several operators run swimming with whale sharks cruises. These tours arm you with snorkels, then dunk you in the water with the whale sharks. The clarity of the water and the size of the fish make this a genuinely exceptional experience. Operators with good reputations include Ningaloo Whalesharks and Ocean Eco Adventures.
Ocean Eco Adventures also offers a ‘Flying Fish’ package, where you start early, taking a microlight flight over the Ningaloo Reef. The idea is that you spot where the whale sharks are from the microlight, and tell the ground crew. Then, when you join the cruise afterwards, you’ve played a part in getting to the whale sharks quicker.
Ningaloo Reef activities: Swimming with whales
In recent years, permits have been granted for swimming with humpback whales on the Ningaloo Reef. The whale shark cruise operators have snaffled the licences for the Ningaloo Reef humpback whale swimming tours, but they take place later in the year. The humpback whale swimming season on the Ningaloo Reef is between July and October.
Even without the big sea creature encounters, the Ningaloo Reef is still a bit special. There are basic campgrounds behind the beaches, which make an agreeable alternative to a hotel in Exmouth. If you don’t mind roughing it slightly, you can stroll to top-drawer beaches such as Turquoise Bay and Osprey Bay.
Things to do on the Ningaloo Reef: Kayaking tours
The best way of hopping between those beaches, however, is in a kayak. The Ningaloo Reef kayaking tours available with the Exmouth Adventure Company are certainly one of the best things to do on the Ningaloo Reef. The outings make use of fixed buoys to tie the kayaks to, meaning you can jump out at prime fish and coral-viewing spots on the reef.
Best Exmouth accommodation choices
- For infinity pool resort luxury: Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort.
- For central location: Ningaloo Lodge.
- For apartments with pool and landscaped gardens: Exmouth Escape Resort.
- For families: RACV Exmouth Cape Holiday Park.
More aquatic encounters in Western Australia
Why should I visit the Cheynes Beach Whaling Station near Albany?
Busselton activities: Taking a helmet dive off Busselton Jetty.
Hand-feed dolphins at Monkey Mia.
Penguin Island tours from Rockingham, Perth.
See the Hamelin Bay stingrays near Margaret River.