We booked in with an excellent tour company called Ningaloo Discovery to do a Whale Shark snorkel on the Ningaloo Reef. These guys are awesome and so helpful in organising everyone to get the best experience. They take a maximum of 20 people on this trip.
We started the journey at Tantabiddi Boat Ramp and motored out in the beautiful catamaran through the reef barrier (to outside) and immediately came across some hump back whales. Everyone geared up and were split into 3 groups and the 1st group entered the water and the whales took off (bummer). We saw some more whales with calves but you are not allowed to dive with them so we moved onto find some whale sharks.
They use a spotter plane to locate the whale sharks. These are solitary animals and travel along very slowly so it wasn’t long before one was spotted. We were then split into 2 groups and entered the water in front of the path the whale shark was heading. The team operate as one and it was not long before our group was directed into position. The whale shark just glides past and then you can swim along with it. This was so surreal and and an experience which will stay with us forever. We swam with 3 different whale sharks during the trip.
Back inside the reef in what is called the “lagoon” where we saw dugongs, sting rays, turtles and dolphins and then went for a snorkel over some “bommies” of coral which were teaming with fish of all colours and sizes. The coral is not as colorful as the Great Barrier Reef and this is due to it’s type and is natural.
This tour was brilliant. The crew aboard the Ningaloo Discovery were all so friendly and helpful. We were served morning and afternoon tea, a fantastic lunch and finished up with a glass of champers on the way back to harbour.
Great surf breaks
Some links…
