If you’re looking for the best snorkelling in Exmouth, you’re in the right place.
Ningaloo Reef is one of those rare places where you don’t always need to travel miles offshore to find beautiful coral and marine life. In many places around Exmouth, you can simply walk off the beach, put your mask and snorkel on and find yourself exploring the Ningaloo Reef within minutes.
It’s one of the things that makes snorkelling in Exmouth so special.
We’re lucky enough to spend much of our lives on and around Ningaloo Reef, and while there are plenty of organised experiences available, some of the best days in Exmouth can be as simple as grabbing your snorkelling gear and heading around the Cape.
So, if you’re planning an Exmouth holiday, here are some of our favourite ways to experience Ningaloo.
Where is the best snorkelling in Exmouth?
Ask a few Exmouth locals where the best place to snorkel is and you probably won’t get the same answer from everyone.
That’s because conditions matter.
Wind, swell, tide, currents and visibility can make one location beautiful one day and another location a better choice the next. There’s also a big difference between somewhere that suits an experienced swimmer and somewhere that might be better for a family or someone snorkelling for the first time.
That said, there are several Exmouth snorkelling locations that should be on just about everyone’s list.
Turquoise Bay snorkelling
Turquoise Bay is probably the best-known spot for snorkelling in Exmouth, and for good reason.
White sand, clear water and Ningaloo Reef just offshore make it an incredible place to spend a few hours.
There are different areas to snorkel at Turquoise Bay, including the well known drift snorkel where the current carries you along the reef.
The drift can be fantastic, but it’s important not to underestimate the current. Conditions vary and the current around the point can be strong, so pay attention to the signs and choose an area appropriate for your swimming ability.
If you’re not a confident swimmer, don’t feel like you have to do the drift. There are other options for enjoying Turquoise Bay and plenty of other places around Exmouth to snorkel.
Before you go, read the official WA Parks guide to Turquoise Bay for access information and advice about currents and safe snorkelling.
Oyster Stacks snorkelling
Oyster Stacks is another favourite for snorkelling in Exmouth, with shallow coral gardens close to a rocky shoreline.
Here, the outer reef is only around 300 metres from shore and the lagoon is particularly narrow. This helps create an area with an impressive concentration of coral and marine life.
It can be a beautiful snorkel, but timing is important.
Oyster Stacks should only be snorkelled when there is sufficient water over the reef, with a recommended minimum tide height of 1.2 metres. The shoreline is also rocky, so take your time getting in and out.
When the tide and conditions line up, it’s a fantastic place to slow down and explore the reef.
Check the official WA Parks guide to Oyster Stacks for high-tide snorkelling guidance and advice on the rocky shoreline.
Lakeside snorkelling
Lakeside is another excellent shore snorkelling option in Cape Range National Park.
The snorkelling area contains large coral bombies that provide habitat for all sorts of marine life. Keep your eyes open for rays moving across the sand, turtles around the coral and the huge variety of smaller reef fish that make Ningaloo such an interesting place to explore.
There is a walk along the beach to reach the designated snorkelling area, so make sure you follow the sanctuary markers rather than simply jumping into the water directly in front of the car park.
The official WA Parks guide to Lakeside explains how to reach the marked snorkelling area and highlights the strong currents that can occur here.
What can you see while snorkelling Ningaloo Reef?
This is probably our favourite question because there really isn’t one answer.
You might see turtles, rays, reef sharks and schools of colourful fish. Then there are the hundreds of smaller things that people often swim straight past.
Take your time around the coral and you start noticing much more.
Parrotfish crunching away at the reef, tiny fish hiding amongst branching coral, clams, anemones, colourful reef fish and all sorts of strange little creatures are part of what makes snorkelling Ningaloo Reef so addictive.
Everyone naturally wants to see the big animals, but some of our favourite Ningaloo experiences happen when nothing particularly famous turns up.
Sometimes a beautiful coral garden and twenty minutes spent slowly exploring it is all you need.
Shore snorkelling or a snorkelling tour in Exmouth?
The great thing about Exmouth is that you can do both.
Shore snorkelling gives you freedom. Pack your gear in the car, head around Cape Range National Park and explore at your own pace.
A boat based Exmouth snorkelling tour gives you a different experience.
You aren’t restricted to places that can easily be reached from the beach, and the location can be chosen according to the conditions on the day.
This is where local knowledge becomes particularly valuable.
We spend a lot of time on Ningaloo Reef, and conditions are never exactly the same. Wind direction, swell, tide and visibility all influence where we choose to go.
There isn’t necessarily one “best snorkelling spot” on Ningaloo every day. Sometimes the trick is knowing where to go on that particular day.
Snorkelling in Exmouth with Ningaloo Glass Bottom Boat
For visitors who want to experience the reef from both above and below the water, our Coral Explorer Tour combines glass bottom coral viewing with the opportunity to snorkel Ningaloo Reef.
Before getting into the water, you get to explore coral gardens through the large glass viewing panels in the boat while our crew talks about the reef, its marine life and what you’re looking at.
Then it’s time to put on a mask and snorkel and see Ningaloo from a completely different perspective.
We provide the snorkelling equipment, so you don’t need to travel to Exmouth carrying a complete set of gear.
It also works particularly well for couples and families where not everyone wants to snorkel.
One person can jump in and explore while another stays aboard and enjoys the reef from the boat. You can still share the Ningaloo experience without everyone in the group needing to have the same swimming ability or confidence in the water.
For people who would prefer not to get wet at all, our Coral Viewer Tour is dedicated to viewing Ningaloo Reef and its marine life from our glass bottom boat.
Is snorkelling in Exmouth suitable for beginners?
You certainly don’t need to be an expert snorkeller to enjoy Ningaloo, but you should always choose an experience appropriate for your ability and the conditions.
If you haven’t snorkelled before, start somewhere calm.
Spend a little time getting comfortable breathing through your snorkel before trying to cover any distance. Make sure your mask fits properly and remember that there’s no prize for being the fastest person in the water.
Relax and look around.
If you’re joining us and you’re nervous or inexperienced, tell the crew. We’d much rather know so we can help you become comfortable and make the experience enjoyable.
And if the conditions at a particular shore snorkelling location don’t look right for your ability, don’t go in simply because you drove all the way there. Ningaloo will still be here tomorrow.
Can you experience Ningaloo Reef without snorkelling?
Absolutely.
Not everyone wants to snorkel, and you shouldn’t miss seeing the reef because swimming isn’t your thing.
That was the whole idea behind glass bottom boating in the first place.
Our Coral Viewer allows you to sit comfortably aboard the boat and look through the glass panels into the coral gardens below, while the Coral Explorer gives groups the flexibility to combine glass bottom viewing and snorkelling.
It can be a great option for families with different ages and abilities, couples where only one person wants to snorkel, or anyone who simply wants to stay dry.
When is the best time for snorkelling in Exmouth?
There isn’t one perfect month for snorkelling in Exmouth.
Ningaloo changes throughout the year and weather conditions can change from one day to the next.
Rather than focusing entirely on the calendar, pay attention to the forecast and local conditions while you’re here.
A calm morning can produce beautiful snorkelling even when conditions are expected to deteriorate later in the day.
Tides are particularly important at some locations. Oyster Stacks, for example, should only be snorkelled when there is enough water over the reef.
If you’re unsure, ask someone local.
What should you take snorkelling in Exmouth?
You don’t need much.
A good fitting mask and snorkel make a huge difference. Fins make swimming easier, particularly when covering a little distance, and a rash shirt or wetsuit can provide both sun protection and warmth.
The Exmouth sun can be fierce, so sun protection is important even when you’re spending much of your time in the water.
Bring plenty of drinking water as well, particularly if you’re spending the day exploring Cape Range National Park.
Most importantly, know your own ability and never snorkel alone.
Look after the reef while you’re here
Ningaloo Reef is a living reef system, not an underwater playground.
Please don’t stand on coral or touch it. Give turtles, rays, sharks and other marine life room to behave naturally rather than chasing them for a photo.
Some of the best wildlife encounters happen when you stop swimming after an animal and simply watch.
When snorkelling in Exmouth from shore, think about where you enter and exit the water. Walking across shallow coral can cause damage without you even realising it.
Take photographs, take memories and leave the reef exactly as you found it.
Why snorkelling in Exmouth is different
There are spectacular reefs all over the world, but there is something unusual about Ningaloo.
It’s the accessibility.
You can wake up in Exmouth, drive around the Cape, walk off a beach and find yourself snorkelling over coral gardens. Or you can head out on a boat and explore another part of the lagoon entirely.
You don’t have to experience Ningaloo just one way.
Spend a day exploring the shore. Visit Turquoise Bay. Time your visit to Oyster Stacks with the tide. Try Lakeside. Then come out on the water and see how different the reef looks from a boat.
We’ve lived and worked around Ningaloo for a long time, and we still don’t get tired of it.
Every day is slightly different. Every snorkel is slightly different. And you never quite know what Ningaloo is going to show you.
That’s probably why we keep getting back in the water.
If you’d like to experience snorkelling in Exmouth with us, take a look at our Coral Explorer Tour, which combines glass bottom reef viewing with snorkelling on Ningaloo Reef.
And if you’d rather stay dry, our Coral Viewer Tour lets you experience the reef through our glass viewing panels without having to put on a mask at all.
We hope to see you on the reef.
Explore all Ningaloo tours and choose your own reef adventure.