Indian & Pacific Ocean
Diving in Australia
Ningaloo Reef stretches over 300 km along Western Australia's coast and is accessible directly from shore near Exmouth and Coral Bay. It is best known for a predictable annual whale shark aggregation, triggered by the reef's mass coral spawning each March. The Great Barrier Reef on the east coast is far larger and more coral-diverse, generally reached from Cairns or Port Douglas, but has no comparable whale shark season.
What you can see
Whale Sharks in Australia High confidence
Well documented, and reliably seen in season.
Best time: March to July, sometimes extending into August
Manta Rays in Australia High confidence
Well documented, and reliably seen in season.
Best time: May–November at Ningaloo (year-round at Coral Bay); June–September at Lady Elliot
Know before you go
- Best season
- March to July, sometimes into August, for whale sharks. Manta rays roughly May to November, and humpback whales June to August.
- Conditions
- Water runs about 24–28°C during the March–August whale shark season and 19–22°C in the cooler months; visibility often exceeds 20–30 meters in season. A 3mm shorty is usually enough in season.
- Getting there
- Exmouth is reached by flying into Learmonth Airport, which connects to Perth, or by a roughly 12-hour drive north from Perth. Coral Bay is an hour further south along the coast.