Coral Bay, Western Australia

HOW TO GET HERE: Coral Bay is a tiny townsite located 1200 kms north of Perth; 240 kms north of Canarvon; 160 kms south of Exmouth. For those coming from the north, it is 1110 kms south of Broome via the Burkett Rd. There are two main ways to get here...by Greyhound/Pioneer or Integrity bus services or driving. It is about 15 hours by bus and 12 hours driving straight through from Perth. For those who are flying to the Nor'West Cape, taxi or bus service to/from the airport at Learmonth (an hour north of Coral Bay) must be prebooked before you arrive. We can arrange this for you..

As Coral Bay lies on the ocean 12 kms off the main road, many travellers bypass it, missing the best access to the Ningaloo Reef system.

WHAT TO DO: Divers and snorkellers are spoiled with choices in Coral Bay. Ningaloo Reef Dive - a P.A.D.I. centre -  offers daily trips to various sites on the main reef for both snorkellers and divers, a huge range of dive & snorkel gear for hire and sale, P.A.D.I. dive courses from beginner to DiveMaster, interactive reef tours with manta rays, dugongs, humpback whales and whale sharks (in season). Fishing, lazing in the sun, land based tours and other holiday pursuits are also available in Coral Bay.  Ask our friendly, local crew when you arrive and they can point you in the right direction to make the most of your holiday.

WHERE TO EAT: Back on land, three restaurants cater for even the most finicky of tastebuds - all offer take-away menus and evening menus.  The bakery offers a good selection of breads, pies and fresh to order sandwiches.  There are also two supermarkets in town to buy supplies.

SHOPPING: Shoppers will find plenty of opportunities to part with their money here, too. You'll find great priced snorkel and dive gear, bathers, clothing, unique jewelry, postcards, books, magazines, souveniers, photos, disposable cameras and much more at the various shops throughout town.

Most shops are open 7 days a week and every day except Christmas. Some do close on public holidays, however.

KEEPING IN TOUCH: Public phones are located across the street from the dive shop in front of Bayview Holiday Village and also outside the pool at the pub. Phonecards can be purchased at the supermarkets and news agent. Coral Bay News & Gifts are the postal agents and sell stamps, postpacks and other postal items; mail is cleared daily around noon and mail is received from Tuesday to Saturday. They also offer a fax sending and receiving service. Internet is available at several stores in town and Ningaloo Reef Dive also offers a camera download and cd burning service.

HANGING OUT: The best place to snorkel from the beach is within easy walking distance of everything. Just head down to the water, walk south (left as you face the ocean!) past the big red rock (named Fletcher's Hill) as far as you want. All of the snorkeling in that area is only meters from the beach and supports a huge cast of corals and other creatures. Please watch for boats and stay away from the channel markers as the boats have only a narrow route to follow because of the shallowness of the coral. The beaches on this end are also perfect for laying in the sun and watching the boats enter and leave the Bay.

Don't want to snorkel, just want to swim or laze on the beach? Coral Bay can offer that too! The swimming beach is a lovely, shallow & boat-free area located at the eastern end of the Bay - just walk to the water and head to the right (as you face the ocean) until you pass all of the boats. This area is perfect for even those who can't swim as the deepest water level is about waist high for a large stretch before dropping off to about 3 meters (10 feet) for those who prefer to swim. Walking to the north from this beach offers a few stretches of more secluded sand and you can wander all the way up to Pt Maud (allow about an hour).

Scenic flights are offered most days and early evenings, providing a spectacular way to see the coastline and view the huge range of marine life present on the reef without even getting your feet wet! Fish feeding occurs daily at 3:30pm right on the main beach - bring your cameras and wear shorts so you can wade out into the action!

As the day draws to a close, head for the observation deck on Fletcher's Hill to watch the sun slowly sink into the Indian Ocean. Enjoy a glass of champagne, take some beautiful photos and relax in the refreshing evening air.

SEASONAL EVENTS: Juvenile grey reef sharks begin schooling in Skelly Bay from September to early January. Visitors can get quite close to the sharks - average size about 3 feet - simply by walking north along the beach (just over half an hour) and standing in ankle deep water. The sharks school in the shallows behind a finger of reef, so low tide offers the very best viewing and photo ops, though the water is usually not very clear for photography. Snorkeling is not recommended. For those who like a bit of colour, Spanish Dancers, a type of nudibranch or sea slug, display their vivid patterns as they swim in close to shore during this same time frame. Early risers will have the best chance of seeing these bright orange to bright red undulating dancers...later in the day one tends to see them washed up on shore.

Humpback whales migrate north to have their calves beginning in June. Whale watching tours and a day on the ocean watching these huge creatures is a brilliant day out - bring a long lens and lots of film! Coral Bay is also on the Humpback's southern migration route and so whale watching is possible through the end of October.

Be part of important international research: Mantas of Ningaloo - a PADI Distinctive Specialty course designed for all of those who want to learn more about these amazing creatures.  As part of the course, students learn about identification and how to collect ID photos for a worldwide database currently under construction.  You don't need to join the course to add to the data base - simply send your images to kristin@exmouthdiving.com.au and she will include them for you.  Contact her for complete details - the more ID photos we can collect the better!

Marine turtles, mostly Greens & Loggerheads, utilize the beaches both north and south of the townsite for nesting from October and the hatchings begin in mid-January and continue through late March. Check out turtle information, photos and a future video at Ningaloo Reef Dive.

The mighty whale sharks visit the outer reefs north of Coral Bay from late March to late May or early June. Companies must have a DEC  license to conduct whale shark interaction tours from Coral Bay - Ningaloo Reef Dive offers tours virtually every day through the peak season.  Contact us for complete details.   The coral spawn usually occurs 7 -9 nights after the full moons in March and April. Night viewing, diving and snorkeling are available.

As the water temperature drops slightly in early June, the dugongs return and we routinely see them on several of our tours..

For those wanting to capture part of their unique experiences cameras are a must. Underwater disposable cameras are an inexpensive and easy item. The quality of cameras DOES vary, so be careful which you choose...price may not always be the best indicator! For the best results remember to shoot with the sun behind you and with your subject no closer than arm's length (about 3 feet). Digital cameras are now available for hire at Ningaloo Reef Dive. This is a great way to capture memories - all hire with us includes a CD of your images.  You may also want to check out our video service...a wide range of videos will be available, including personalized videos of your tour.

WEATHER: Coral Bay's temperatures range from high 30's in summer (December to March), low to mid 30's during spring and autumn (April, May & September, October, November) and low to mid 20's during winter (June, July). Nights during winter can get quite cold, as can being out on the water all day (even during spring and autumn), so jumpers are advised. Water temperatures range from 19C to 28C; a 3mm long suit will get divers through most of the year, but 5mm is recommended from late June to late August/early September. Even snorkellers - especially kids - will benefit from a wetsuit during the colder months.