Ningaloo Reef

What It Is and Where

The Ningaloo Coast was listed as a World Heritage Site on 24 June 2011, covering about 604,500 hectares of sea and land. The reef runs from the Muiron Islands south to Red Bluff, with Exmouth and Coral Bay as the two bases. On land, Cape Range National Park has red limestone gorges where black-footed rock-wallabies live. The coast is home to the Baiyungu and Jinigudira people.

What You Do There

• Swim with whale sharks on licensed boat tours in season
• Snorkel straight from the beach at Turquoise Bay and other spots in Cape Range National Park
• Swim with reef manta rays, which live along the coast all year, from Coral Bay
• Swim with humpback whales on licensed tours from about late June to October

The reef has more than 500 species of fish, along with turtles and dugongs.

Best Time to Go

Whale shark season runs from late March to July, with April and May usually the best for numbers, water clarity and weather. Humpbacks pass the reef from about June to October. Mantas are here year-round. Summer, December to February, is hot and can be windy.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Fly from Perth to Learmonth Airport. Exmouth is about 36 kilometers away and Coral Bay about 117 kilometers. There is little public transport, so plan transfers or a car in advance, and book whale shark tours early. Stay at least three nights so you have a spare day if the weather keeps boats in.

Where to Stay

Sal Salis is a camp in the dunes of Cape Range National Park with 15 wilderness tents and a single honeymoon tent, looking straight out to the reef, for people who want to sleep at the water's edge. Ask us for other options around Exmouth.

Read more in Luxury Australia for Nature Lovers and Where to Go in 2026.