Coral Bay

"Coral Bay is a small coastal settlement located 1,200 kilometers north of Perth. It's named Coral Bay due to the beautiful coral gardens which lie mere meters from the pristine white sandy beach, this tiny, laidback seaside location is a must-visit destination for nature lovers. Coral Bay is all about the water and the coast. Note: One of the best things about Coral Bay is that it provides walk-in access to the world heritage listed Ningaloo Reef Marine Park BUT don't get disappointed as most of the reef is destroyed due to a spawning event in march 2022 so you will have to take a boat tour or swim a bit further as professionals say. I couldn't understand why corals died because of a natural phenomenon so i did my research and linked the article for those that are as curious as I was. 1. Snorkeling off the beach at Bill’s Bay towards AYERS ROCK (not the one in the NT but the 5-6m rock formation you find here) is incredible. There aren’t many places in the world where you can step into the water, and the reef is literally a few swims away. You can take a sea scooter if you are not a confident swimmer, rent a bottom glass kayak or book a guided tour. . 2. Look for reef sharks at the Coral Bay Shark Sanctuary, also known as the shark nursery. It 's about a 20 minute walk north along Bill’s Bay. ( It's a flat but rocky walk ) The area where the reef sharks congregate is called Skeleton Bay and is a part of the Ningaloo Marine Park. The best time of the year to see the sharks is between September and March. . 3. Another great place to snorkel is the 5 fingers reef. Most blogs will tell you that you need a 4WD or a tour to get there but you can actually walk there. It's going to take you about 45' ( one way ) but it is worth it for those who are not having a 4 x 4 or those who are not willing to do a quad tour. . 4. Enjoy the view, sunset or sunrise from the lookout. . 5. Options enough but try to look for the marine life like turtles, manta rays ( you can spot these beauties all year round ), humpback whales ( between june and october ) or whale sharks ( between march and august ). Some of them you spot from shore if you are lucky and for others you need a tour. If you are only here in the area I would give it a shot to spot these incredible animals on a tour. If you go further north I would recommend to take a tour in EXMOUTH as I think it has a bit more to offer. Have fun, "

"The reef here is not as good as Exmouth but worth a stop to break up the journey and say you have been!"