Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth

Verified2026-09-11 checkedReefPelagic

A fringing reef you can walk into, and the most reliable whale shark aggregation in the world.

Depth: 2–25 m7–82 ft
Difficulty: Beginner
Entry: Boat · Shore
Typical current: Light
Coordinates: 21°54.000′S 114°6.000′E
Activities: Scuba · Snorkelling · Freediving

Ningaloo runs 260 km down the Western Australian coast and is close enough to shore in places to swim out to. Between March and July whale sharks aggregate after the coral spawning, and spotter planes put swimmers in the water ahead of them — this is snorkelling rather than diving, and it is regulated tightly: no touching, no flash, fixed distances and a limited number of boats. Humpbacks pass from August. The reef diving itself is gentle and shallow.

Fly to Exmouth or Coral Bay from Perth; boats leave from Tantabiddi ramp.

Best season

ExcellentMar–Jul
GoodAug–Sep
FairOct–Feb

Conditions

Water temperature: 23.8°C75°F
Wave height: 0.5 m2 ft
Air temperature: 19.5°C67°F
Wind speed: 16.6 km/h10.3 mph

Updated 2026-10-07 16:15 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Conditions are reported for information only. Assess the site yourself and follow your guide and your training.

No live conditions for this site yet.

We only show numbers we can attribute to a source.

Sea state and tide

On a date

Tide · 10/8

Low02:43-0.01 m
High08:450.78 m
Low15:00-0.20 m
High21:170.89 m

Forecast heights against mean sea level. Real tides in a bay, a harbour or over a flat can differ — check an official tide table before you get in.

Pick a day to see its tide

Only wave height and wind are scored, because those are what close a boat ramp or a shore entry. Water temperature is reported and never scored: 12°C is an ordinary dive in a drysuit and punishing in a 3 mm, and a number that cannot see your suit has no business marking it down. Stars do not decide whether you get in — you and your guide do, on the day.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Marine life you may see

Whale sharkRhincodon typusMar–JulSeasonal
Reef manta rayMobula alfrediCommon
Green turtleChelonia mydasCommon
Spotted eagle rayAetobatus narinariSeasonal
DugongDugong dugonCommon
Humpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeJul–OctSeasonal
Staghorn coralAcropora spp.Common
Loggerhead turtleCaretta carettaCommon
Moorish idolZanclus cornutusCommon
Titan triggerfishBalistoides viridescensCommon

From divers

What people who were in the water reported. Not a forecast, and not a judgement about whether the site is safe to dive.

No recent reports from divers. If you dived here in the last two weeks, you can say how it was.

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