He loved Ningaloo “because it’s so accessible.” In contrast to the Great Barrier Reef, where you need a tour operator and a couple of hours to get to it, he explained, Ningaloo is a fringing reef with the best sites few hundred meters offshore. Ningaloo Reef is one of the world’s biggest fringing coral reefs and is around 300 kilometres (185 miles) long. And on our final evening, a small group of campers gathered on the beach, with wallabies looking on and sea eagles flying over head, to whale watch as the sun set. A Ningaloo Reef pilot has captured one of the rarest sights off the Exmouth coast, photographing two whale sharks in an intimate moment near the surface of the ocean. We’d been planning to head to the Great Barrier Reef, until a chance conversation with an ex-colleague in Melbourne. They are the largest non-mammalian vertebrates and only some species of whale are bigger. He yelps through his snorkel, jabbing his finger towards a blue-spotted fantail stingray that’s winging its way across the sand below him and sets off in pursuit, flippers manically churning the water. Good mixture of powered and unpowered sites as well as hill top cabins with potential views of humpback whales out to sea. Western Australia’s World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef is one of the most accessible places in the world where humans can interact with whale sharks. The whale shark is the world’s biggest fish and congregates along the Ningaloo Reef. "The male shark swam over to the female shark and instantly turned upside down, which is a very unusual behaviour," she said. Only one of the local dive shops gets the licence to offer dive tours each year and this currently sits with Ningaloo Whaleshark-N-Dive (ningaloowhalesharkndive.com.au). If you’re spending time in Exmouth , booking trips with local dive and snorkelling operators this is a great place to base yourself. Book a day’s tour with a local adventure organisation and you can slide down waterfalls, abseil off more intimidating drops, hike through gorges and then float downstream on inner tubes, all under the watchful eye of an expert guide. For all whale shark adventure tour bookings to get in early click here to Book Now. Zebra-striped clown fish weave through the electric-blue staghorn coral, and a racoon butterfly fish hovers motionless, seemingly oblivious to the snorkellers gawping from above. “That was amazing!” said my 8-year-old, Artie, treading water and pulling his snorkel out. Stepping into the crystal blue waters of Coral Bay, marine life comes in a barrage of colour and diversity. Qantas (0845 774 7767; qantas.com.au) offer flights to Learmonth Airport via Perth starting at £850 return. You’ll be cooking a lot of meals yourself so make sure to stock up in Exmouth as prices are cheaper here than in Coral Bay and there are obviously no shops in the national parks. Just a walk from the beach at Coral Bay this is a excellent campsite with free BBQs and freshwater showers. Fantastic for breakfast with a mix of super healthy juices, muesli and more exotic food. As it runs just a few metres off shore Ningaloo Reef offers great easily accessible snorkelling where snorkellers can experience an infinite number of dive sites and take in the abundant diverse tropical marine life on offer. In what is believed to be a world first, whale sharks were spotted mating in waters off Ningaloo Reef off the Exmouth coast. The best time to see Whale Sharks at Exmouth in 2020 on the Ningaloo reef is from March to August this year. This part of Coral Bay is a known nursery for both black and white tipped reef sharks, but it’s another member of the shark family that is Ningaloo’s greatest draw. Diving under the water we found ourselves in a world of electric-blue damselfish, turtles, puffer fish, enormous clams and sleek angel fish. In what is believed to be a world first, whale sharks were spotted mating in waters off Ningaloo Reef off the Exmouth coast. West Oz Active Adventure Tours offer a great ways to explore the gorges of Karijini (0061 43 8913 713; westozactive.com.au; £143/$235 for day tour). (0061 8 9942 5933; peoplesparkcoralbay.com.au; £21/$36 for an unpowered site, £150/$260 for a 2 bed cabin). When can I travel to Australia? Little is known about the mating behaviours of whale sharks, which migrate up the WA coast every year to breed in the tropical waters of the Ningaloo Reef, fuelling a thriving eco-tourism industry in Exmouth. Exmouth Camper Hire offer campervans with solar panels, a full-equipped kitchen and basic shower, as well as all your snorkelling equipment (0061 8 9949 4050; exmouthcamperhire.com.au; £1682/$2880 for two weeks). It’s almost too much for my six-year-old Charlie. 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There are a number of wilderness campsites that that allow you to explore the best of the park. And those stylishly laid-back, ultra private suites. In what is believed to be one of the first times the world's largest living fish have been observed mating, Ningaloo Aviation owner Tiffany Klein photographed the sharks from above as she tracked them for swimming tours below on Monday. They have been known to live some 70 years. After two years of living in Australia, happily avoiding anything Jaws-like, we were suddenly meters from a black tipped reef shark. Far more touristy than the national parks, the first dolphin feeding time of the day is at 7.45am. EXMOUTH (AUSTRALIA)- A 60-year old woman was attacked by a shark at Turquoise Bay about 60km south of Exmouth, Western Australia. They are large, long-living, slow-moving pelagic fish and inhabit the world’s warmer tropical and sub-temperate open seas. If you’re planning long distances, aim to start early. Only one whale shark has been recorded pregnant in WA, according the the Department of Environment and Energy. The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes. Whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, are the largest fish in the oceans. Ms Klein said she followed the male shark for about two hours, spotting it for swimmers, before it was joined by a female. (3A Kennedy Street; 0061 8 9949 1400; ningaloohealth.com.au), Eating out in Coral Bay is pricey, but this good value and serves excellent pizza and ice cream (Robinson Street; 0061 8 9942 5882), You need to book campsites in Karijini and Cape Range National Park in advance, through the Department of Parks and Wildlife website www.dec.wa.gov.au/campgrounds, Tourism Western Australia: www.westernaustralia.com, Visas: British citizens require a visa for travel to Australia. The start of the Ningaloo Whale Shark season coincides with the annual March/April coral spawning season and runs for around four months. Some of our most exciting wildlife finds came in the most remote spots. Ningaloo Reef is a mighty long way from anything — a distant 1,200km north of Perth, to be precise — but a stream of tourists make the trek to tick snorkelling with whale sharks off their bucket list. Yes, there’s that Freycinet view. A whale shark experience is an absolute must for any underwater adventurer. Apply online at www.immi.gov.au. We watched as it moved gracefully along a wall of coral, then sensing our presence, shot away with a muscular flick of its tail. When to go: UK Summer holidays coincide with whale shark season and ‘cooler’ winter weather, with temperatures in the mid-20s. There is an airport shuttle that meets each scheduled flight to cover the 37km into Exmouth and will drop you at any location (0061 8 9949 4623; £15/$25). Some 35,000 whales are thought to migrate past Ningaloo between June and November, mothers and calves enjoying the relative safety of the shallows and feeding up for the long journey south. Our first experience of the reef was with Ningaloo Ecology Cruises. And if you want to up the adrenaline factor there are plenty of other ways to see this amazing landscape. Credit:Ningaloo Aviation/Tiffany Klein. But it’s t... Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia. The encounter was brief, with the female shark diving into the ocean after a few minutes. As it runs just a few metres off shore Ningaloo Reef offers great easily accessible snorkelling where snorkellers can experience an infinite number of dive sites and take in the abundant diverse tropical marine life on offer. Ningaloo Ecology Tours offer half day snorkelling tours of the reef. Do not drive after dusk as you run the risk of hitting cattle and kangaroo. “Do you know, I’ve travelled all over Australia but I keep coming back to Ningaloo,” said Hans, a ‘Grey Nomad’ in his 70s who, like many other retired Australians, spends most of his time travelling the country in a dust-caked caravan and 4x4. Large silver snapper patrol the shoreline looking for an easy meal, while green and purple parrot fish circle the first bulbous mound of coral we come to. Whale sharks are docile and non-threatening, and diving with these magnificent gentle giants of the deep is absolutely exhilarating. “This reef is pretty much pristine, thanks to the lack of local development,” explained our guide Alek Nowak. Type of dive: Reef, Access: Boat only (20 minutes), Minimum qualification: Snorkelling only, Depth: Varies, Visibility: 5-20 metres (15-60’), Water temperature: 24°C (75°F) – 28°C (83°F), Best time to visit: March – July (Seasonal). When some Australians I met in Queenstown, New Zealand told me that Ningaloo Reef has incredible diving and that one of the most amazing things to do in Exmouth is swimming with whale sharks, how could I not pack up and go?!. Amorous whale sharks spotted in intimate encounter at Ningaloo Reef. Then, as we began to explore an underwater canyon, came the predatory outline of a shark. Do hang around for a while, as you may well get to see them return when the crowds have thinned out.
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