Snorkelling in Ningaloo Reef

Ningaloo is the rare fringing reef you can reach straight from the beach, running for hundreds of kilometres along Australia's remote west coast, and once a year it hosts the largest fish on earth. Timed to the coral spawn, whale sharks — filter-feeding giants up to eight metres long and completely harmless — gather to feed, and you get into the water with them.

The operation is precise: a spotter plane finds an animal from the air, the boat drops you in ahead of its path, and a creature the size of a bus glides past a few metres away while you finish somewhere in its wake. On the days you're not chasing sharks, the reef itself is right there off the sand — turtles, rays and coral gardens in warm, clear water.

Licensed operators only, with strict rules on distance and swimmer numbers per animal. The season is tied to the spawn and shifts a little each year, running roughly March to July. Come for the encounter, and enjoy the reef around it.

Licensed operators only, with strict distance rules and swimmer numbers per animal. The season is tied to the coral spawn and shifts slightly each year.