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Whale shark season goes from 1 March to 31 July. The best time to see them is usually mid-season in April or May. Humpback whale season runs from 1 July to 30 November. The best time to see them is from August to September. We are fortunate enough to have manta rays frequenting our waters all year round.
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All your snorkelling or diving equipment, food, drinking water and hot drinks are included. The day starts with a 50-minute snorkel or dive on the reef, after which we head to the bay where we usually find mantas. Our spotter plane will begin its search for manta rays. If a manta ray is located, then we will have the opportunity to swim with it. After the swim, we serve lunch before heading back to the reef for our second dive or snorkel.
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Unfortunately no, we do not dive with these animals. They are all found in completely different areas to the dive sites and we also aren’t allowed to dive with whale sharks or humpback whales. It’s snorkelling only with them! If you are a diver, please look at our dedicated dive trips and manta ray interaction trips.
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You do not need to know how to snorkel, but it certainly helps. The more confident you are in the water, the more comfortable you’ll be on the tour. The crew are happy to help show you how to fit a mask and snorkel, and are there to answer any questions.
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It depends on the individual animal, each animal can behave differently. Some are quite curious and calm whereas others are moving faster and seem uninterested in being around swimmers. On average the animals are swimming at a slow pace for them, which can be a relatively brisk swim for us humans! Be prepared to do a fair amount of swimming throughout the day.
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That’s great! We offer Discover SCUBA Diving (DSD) on our Manta Ray Interaction Tour. We need a minimum of two DSDs on the tour. You’ll be with an instructor the whole time who will show you how to dive. Please note that a DSD is an experience only and won’t certify you to dive. You would need to complete a full SCUBA certification course to receive your dive licence.
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We can take 22 people on our Ningaloo Adventure and Manta Ray Tour.
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On the Manta Ray Interaction Tour, children must be 4 years of age or older – this is because of the smaller size of the boat and the fact that there will be divers with heavy tanks and equipment. All children must be supervised by an adult at all times. If your child is staying on the boat during a swim, there must be an adult on the boat with them.
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Yes!
Ocean Collective Media provide a professional photography service onboard our Manta Ray Tours. Using top of the range photography equipment they aim to capture all your memories from throughout your tour with us. Following the conclusion of your tour photography packages are available for purchase from your tours photographer.
For more information regarding photography packages, contact [email protected] or check out their Instagram page @oceancollectivemedia for an insight into life on the World Heritage Listed Ningaloo Reef! -
Yes! We utilize a spotter plane to search for Manta Rays.
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The water temperature ranges from 25°C to 28°C February to June and from 18°C to 24°C July to January
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Most of the sites we visit are located within the reef. For divers, the average depth is between 8 to 12m. Our snorkellers are guided around the more exposed areas of the sites which can be as shallow as 1 to 2m. For our outer reef dive experiences, we can reach up to 25m.
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It changes every day. Visibility can be as much as 20-25m or as little as 5m. On average it’s around 10-15m.
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There are hundreds of species of fish on the reef plus sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, invertebrates, whales and more. There is no guarantee of seeing anything (other than coral!) but we do our best to show you as much marine life as possible.
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Conditions on the inside of the reef are typically calmer and more sheltered than the outer reef. Our Manta Ray Interaction Tour stays inside the reef and is usually relatively calm. The other tours go outside the reef to open ocean where conditions vary widely. Some days are flat whereas other days there can be swell up to a couple meters. We will cancel tours if the skipper decides it is unsafe to take people on the boat. If you think you may get seasick, it’s best to take medication! Kwells or Travacalm are the most common brands in Australia and can be purchased at the local supermarket. Please note we do not have any at our shop or on the boats.
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All the tours start at our shop. We’re located at shop 8 in the Coral Bay Shopping Arcade. It’s an easy 5-minute walk from anywhere in town! If you’re driving from Exmouth, it takes 90 minutes. We do not offer pickups for our tours.
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We have discounts for groups of 5 or more, and for families. We also offer 10% off for members of RAC. Please check the tour information pages for pricing.
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Yes, we do! We charge $15 for a mask, snorkel and fins; $10 for mask and snorkel; $10 for fins; and $20 for a wetsuit. The charges are for a full day and all gear needs to be returned by 5pm each day.
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We all need to wear sunscreen when outside in the harsh Australian sun. Changing what sunscreen you wear is easy and can have a big impact on our coast. A number of studies have shown that sunscreen and certain individual components of sunscreen can have negative effects on corals and other marine organisms.
We are a “reef safe sunscreen” operation. Reef safe sunscreen is available for our customers both in-store and on our vessel. We also have full length wetsuits available to reduce the overuse of sunscreen on our tours.
The reef will love you for it!
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Our cancellation policy is as follows:
- If we cancel due to bad weather, vessel problems or minimum number requirements then you would receive a full refund.
- If you give us 72 hours’ notice then you have the option of a full refund or the option to change to another day.
- If you give us 48 hours’ notice then you would receive a 50% refund or have the option to change to another day.
- Less than 48 hours’ notice then there would be no refund and no option to change to another day.
