Active Pursuits

Swimming with Whale Sharks

Whale sharks are sharks, not whales, and are the world's biggest fish, reaching a railway engine size of 12 to 18m (39-58 ft.) in length. Terrified? Don't be. Their gigantic size belies their gentle nature and swimming speed; despite having mouths big enough to swallow a boatload of snorkelers, they eat plankton. Several boat operators take people out to swim alongside the whale sharks when they appear from late March to June and possibly into July. You simply float in the water wearing mask and snorkel and watch this magnificent spotted fish moving effortlessly past you; it's mind-blowing that you can be so close to such a huge, beautiful, and harmless creature. A day trip with one of the longest established whale-shark companies, Exmouth Diving Centre (tel. 08/9949 1201; www.exmouthdiving.com.au), or its Coral Bay alternative, Ningaloo Reef Diving Centre (tel. 08/9942 5824; www.ningalooreefdive.com), costs A$375 (US$338/£169) for snorkeling or A$425 (US$382/£191) including a subsequent scuba dive, including all gear.

Diving, Snorkeling, Fishing & Four-Wheel Drive Tours

Dive and snorkel Ningaloo's unspoiled waters and you will see marvelous reef formations, groper, manta rays, octopus, moray eels, potato cod (which you can hand-feed), and other marvels at a dozen or more sites. Divers often spot humpback and false killer whales and large sharks, while snorkelers may see dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, and turtles. Loads of dive companies in Exmouth and Coral Bay (including the two listed in "Swimming with Whale Sharks") rent gear and run daily dive trips and learn-to-dive courses. A two-dive day trip costs from A$185 (US$166/£83) with all gear supplied.

Three great snorkeling spots are: right off the shore at Coral Bay, where you can stroll up the beach, put on your mask and snorkel, and drift with the current past corals and limitless fish, then climb out and do it all over again; Pilgramunna Ledges, 72km (45 miles) from Exmouth, where you're rarely more than 10m (33 ft.) from the beach; and sheltered Turquoise Bay, a 60km (37-mile) drive from Exmouth, which also has a drift option, but you need to be a reasonable swimmer. In deeper waters off Coral Bay, you can snorkel with manta rays with a "wingspan" of up to 7m (23 ft.). If you're lucky, the rays may encounter a good feeding patch, and they will perform a series of backward somersaults to keep themselves within the same area. Companies in both towns run manta and reef-snorkel trips and rent gear. The Ningaloo shores have loads of swimming beaches, but, for safety's sake, never swim alone.

Reef fish, tuna, and Spanish mackerel are common catches in these waters, and black, blue, and striped marlin run outside the reef September through January. Up to a dozen boats operate reef and game-fishing day trips out of Exmouth and Coral Bay, and tackle and tin fishing dinghies are easy to rent in either town. Note that several fishing sanctuary zones have been established, so check with DEC or visitor centers for their locations.

Green and loggerhead turtles lay eggs at night from November through February or March on the Cape's beaches. You can join one of several turtle-watch tours from either town. August through October, boats run cruises from either town to spot humpback whales.

You can take an off-road 240km (149-mile) four-wheel-drive escapade with Ningaloo Safari Tours (tel. 08/9949 1550; www.ningaloosafari.com). You will explore the arid limestone ridges of 50,581-hectare (124,935-acre) Cape Range National Park, snorkel Turquoise Bay, climb a lighthouse, and cruise orange-walled Yardie Creek Gorge to spot rock wallabies. This full-day trip departs your Exmouth hotel at 7:30am and returns at 6pm. It costs A$185 (US$166/£83) for adults and A$130 (US$117/£59) for children under 13. A 5-hour afternoon tour and full day snorkeling tour are also available depending on numbers.

Coral Bay's Coastal Adventure Tours (tel. 08/9948 5190) has quad bike tours which head off to quiet deserted beaches via bush tracks and over sand dunes. A 3-hour snorkel trek is A$99 (US$90/£45) and a 2-hour sunset trek is A$85 (US$76/£38). Passengers are A$45 (US$40/£20) adults and A$30 (US$27/£14) children.