Whale shark Tours
Ningaloo Reef Dive & Snorkel and Coral Bay Eco Tours both offer tours swimming with the biggest fish in the world, the whale sharks from March to July. This is an incredible encounter you will always remember with experienced and professional guides. They use spotter planes to guide the vessels to the whale shark to maximise their success rate. It is a full day tour which includes lunch and refreshments, as well as all equipment and government charges. You may also see dolphins, turtles, dugongs and manta rays on this tour.
NINGALOO REEF DIVE
Swimming alongside the biggest fish in the world is simply an incredible encounter you are sure to always remember! Our dedicated crew are passionate about the conservation and research of the mystical creatures of the deep with our aim being your safety first and your time spent in the water swimming with these beautiful creatures.
This full day tour starts at 7:20, meeting in the dive shop to check in and collect all your snorkelling equipment for the day - including a full length wetsuit! We then take a 5 minute drive down to the jetty on our new, air-conditioned buses where we then embark one of our two fit-for-purpose vessels, each with ample room on the covered main deck to comfortably sit, move around and sight see as we cruise out to the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef.
Our first stop on the water is a guided snorkel at a beautiful coral garden area on the reef where you get the chance to see up to 250 species of corals and such marine life as colourful fish, sea turtles, stingrays, octopus, cuttlefish, reef sharks, amongst many many others! Once everyone is back aboard you can indulge in some morning tea as we head outside the reef in search for a whale shark! The pilot of our dedicated spotter plane will coordinate directly with our skipper to get you in the best position possible to see a whale shark. If we find a whale shark, you will have a chance to get in the water and swim alongside them.
Once back inside the reef, a delicious buffet lunch will be served. While you enjoy your lunch, we will begin cruising back toward Coral Bay as we endeavour to find as much marine life in the water as possible for your sight-seeing pleasure. The Ningaloo is host to many incredible animals that you may get the chance to view from the boat on this tour, such as dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, sting rays, sharks and whales!
In the afternoon we will go for another snorkel at yet another beautiful reef location if time permits. This tour generally returns to Coral Bay between 4:30pm - 5:30pm but this can vary depending on the conditions of the day.
Please keep in mind that our dealing with wild animals in their natural environment are not predictable. Our commitment to you is that our crew will make every possible effort to ensure that you have the best experience possible, however we can not guarantee that we will see all or any of the wildlife mentioned.
CORAL BAY ECO TOURS
Let us take you on a tour of a lifetime. Join us on an unforgettable experience of a lifetime for a chance to swim with the biggest fish in the sea, the majestic Whale Sharks. The tour runs for approx. 8 to 10 hours.
Your tour begins at 7:30 am at the Coral Bay Ecotours office, followed by a short bus transfer to the jetty to board the vessel. Then we head out for your first reef snorkel experience in the beautiful coral gardens, where you may encounter numerous fish, reef sharks, and other marine species.
After morning tea, we begin our journey to the outer reef. By this time our spotter plane is already searching for our whale sharks and informing us of any other exciting marine life spotted along the way! We will do our best to allow you to experience as much wildlife as possible during our tour. Once our spotter plane has found a whale shark, our boat will make its way there. Guests will be split into 2 groups of 10 and take turns to swim with the whale shark. To ensure that we don’t disturb its natural habits, we are allowed a maximum one hour of swimming time with the whale shark.
We stop along the way home for a second reef snorkel at a different site. To finish the day, we celebrate with a glass of champagne and fruit platter. Our photographer will be taking photos and/or video footage of your day; available for purchase on a USB for an additional cost at the end of the tour.
We Provide: A full buffet lunch, morning and afternoon tea, all snorkel equipment including long wetsuits, fresh drinking water, tea, coffee, sunscreen and toilet.
What you need to bring: Towel, hat, sunscreen, swimsuit, water bottle, warm clothing.
