After the whale sharks
July 24th, 2007 by KatThe whale shark season may be over, but the adventure continues.
Now’s the time of year when the water temperature over the Ningaloo Reef begins to rise steadily to a 30 degree crescendo in summer. This makes the Reef ideal for snorkellers - and there’s certainly plenty to see and even photograph in our beautiful clear water.
Some of the best spots are at Ningaloo Reef Retreat and Turquoise Bay, where the coral begins just 10 metres off the beach. As summer draws on, this is the place to be, with temperatures on this west side of the cape around 8 degrees cooler than in Exmouth, thanks partly to a refreshing sea breeze.
As well as colourful coral and sponge gardens, the list of fish goes on and on - parrot fish, sea stars, humbugs, angel fish, clownfish, butterflyfish, surgeons and anemones. Patient snorkellers regularly spot huge lazy turtles, who can be seen heaving themselves up the beach to lay their eggs from November.
There are fantastic drift snorkels in both the Retreat and Turquoise Bay, and the Retreat has sea kayaks available for those who want to paddle further out to an area known as Blue Lagoon. Snorkelling and sea kayaking at the Retreat must be booked ahead. I recommend a full day tour that includes Turquoise Bay too.
Another good option is the Ningaloo Coral Explorer II - a glass bottom vessel that shows off the Ningaloo coral and has snorkelling options for those who want to get a closer look.
You can be sure of some stunning tropical fish on this tour, and their guests often spot manta rays, dugongs, dolphins, turtles and reef sharks too.
These are both great tour operators and I’d be happy to organise a snorkel for you. Contact me for further info.
Posted in Adventure Travel, Ecotourism, Manta Ray, Sea Turtle, Snorkel, Underwater photography, Whale Shark. Permalink for this post: permalink.
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January 30th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
In researching a children’s picture book, I would be greatful to know if any of the following make sounds, and if so, could you try writing the sound: whale, whale shark, shark, stingray, dugong, dolphin, tuskfish and goby.
Thank you.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
In researching a children’s picture book, I would be grateful to know if any of the following make sounds, and if so, could you try writing the sound: whale, whale shark, shark, stingray, dugong, dolphin, tuskfish and goby.
Thank you.