There have been so many reports lately of the global population of whale sharks declining – and this still remains the case – but the great news for Ningaloo is that our whale sharks are thriving. As Brad puts it: “The study suggests that the management practices at Ningaloo are working for the whale shark.” Conservation is paying off.

All of this means you can come to Ningaloo and swim with the whale sharks with the confidence of knowing these stunning creatures are being protected – and that Brad is committed to making the knowledge gained at Ningaloo available to other parts of the world embarking on whale conservation projects.

Brad’s work with Ecocean has won him several awards, and the site is worth a browse for anyone interested in whale sharks.

You can also contribute your photos to Ecocean’s identification library – you never know, your whale shark may be one that no one else has yet photographed.

So which offers the best experience?

Honestly – they are both fantastic, and both ‘musts’ for any adventure traveller, whether you’re a seasoned diver or inquisitive snorkeller.

But they are different, and if you have to choose, then the choice is purely personal.

Divers who have dived the GBR won’t rest until they’ve also dived Ningaloo which is considered the “next thing” – and many are frankly blown away by the experience. I have even heard some admit in hushed tones that actually, Ningaloo is right up there with the Great Barrier – I think the tones are hushed because they don’t want to be seen to insult a national icon.

Personally I love Ningaloo because it’s relatively undamaged by the trample of tourist fins. Hordes of overseas visitors have caused a lot of damage to the Great Barrier Reef, and here in Western Australia we hope to learn from this by focusing on ecotourism. We’re very protective of our beautiful reef and strict about educating everyone who ventures into the ocean about looking but not touching.

The reef is also very close to the shore, which means you can wade out to it with your snorkel when the mood takes you – no need to take a long boat trip. This appeals to a lot of independent travellers, who also love the relative uncrowdedness of the region.

Then there’s the light and colours, which are again quite different from the GBR. I’ll leave you with the words one writer chose to describe the Ningaloo shoreline in a recently published article:

“The sheltered shallow waters between the reef and the beach are crystal clear, and the white sand beneath shines through the bright blue, giving the beaches an incandescent quality.”

As a staunch supporter of ecotourism, I’d say that first-hand experience of the natural world needs to be added to the firing of children’s imaginations through art.

Here’s an interesting post from global warming specialist, Jane Genovese, which gives us real evidence from research showing the importance of a child’s early experiences in terms of their commitment to the environment.

Fascinating stuff.

Unfortunately, there are tour operators that won’t allow children to participate in interactive experiences because they are viewed as a liability – unpredictable in their responses with the potential to cause damage to the fragile environment.

While it’s essential that we protect our environment, children need to take part, with us adults taking responsibility for educating and monitoring them as they do so.

We encourage families to join our whale shark tour as a group. In fact our boat has been designed to make it easy for kids to hop in and out of the water, as the marlin board sits flush with the water. Even two-year-olds can join in – all the kids need is their own wetsuits as we only have adult sizes.

And if the kids paint their experience afterwards, we’d love to see the results!

But for many people, spring is THE time to come. Temperatures are rising with daytime max averaging 30-36C. If this seems a little on the warm side, the reliable afternoon breezes come in every day to cool you down.

Then of course there’s the cooling effect of swimming and snorkelling over the stunning reef, which in places is just a few metres from the beach. Water temperatures are between 26 and 30C, cool enough to be refreshing, warm enough to save you from shivering.

If all this sounds appealing as a way to wind down after a winter in the city, I’d recommend the Ningaloo Reef Retreat. There are few more relaxing spots. It’s an ecologically sound, luxurious tented camp and right in the dunes just south of Turquoise Bay. And when I say ‘luxurious’, I mean real luxury camping with pine furniture, wooden floors, ensuite solar showers and hammocks on the front deck of your tent.

Whenever you feel like cooling off, you can just stroll down to the water’s edge, wade in and you’re there – hanging over the reef with a whole crowd of marine creatures darting around you. Guides at the camp can also take you out sea kayaking, help you find sea turtles, and direct you to the best walks in the gorges of the Cape Range National Park, just a few minutes away.

What also makes the Retreat interesting is the communal dining experience. The camp sleeps around a dozen guests, and most choose to join in together at the camp kitchen to cook and eat dinner outdoors by candlelight. Even the least sociable find themselves drawn into this wonderfully Australian atmosphere of mateship over a glass or two and an ocean sunset – a fabulous way to unwind.

True blue Aussies – or visitors wanting a real Australian camping experience – can even choose to sleep in a good old swag under the stars.

Contact us or the Retreat to find out more.

It was an awesome day; we all had a ball and Jules was awesome!

We regularly spot the whales while out on our fishing and diving tours, and we’re sometimes lucky enough to see calves with their mothers.

Many of the dedicated whale-watching tours enable guests to snorkel with manta rays too – two breathtaking experiences in one hit!

Contact us for more information.

Our pristine Ningaloo Reef hosts thousands of different species of fish and coral; the pristine waters need to be seen personally to be believed.

From Exmouth it is possible to access the Ningaloo Reef from the Cape Range National Park. This is located approx 30 min drive from the town centre.

Once within the National Park boundaries; there is an endless coastline of turquoise waters; unspoiled sandy beaches and snorkeling just a stones throw off the shore.

During the summer months the water temp is absolute beautiful (however the scorching summer heat can leave a lot to be desired); it can be a little cooler in the middle of winter; however the clear bright skies and warm sun; still make it a pleasurable experience.

Some of my favourite snorkel spots are: Turquoise Bay, Lakeside & Oyster Stacks. At all 3 locations there is an abundance of beautiful coral, colourful reef fish and the odd white tipped Reef Shark. It truly is an amazing experience!

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.

It was quite deflating really. The 2007 season was my 4th Whale Shark season; this time of the year is such a highlight! The town is a buzz with Wicked Vans carrying lo9ads of backpackers and Skywest planes providing many more flights that usual carrying in punters from all over the world who are on a mission to swim with the biggest fish in the sea; the Mighty Whale Shark!”

The ‘end of season’ call didn’t really sink in until about 2 hours after we made the call as I had been side tracked preparing our application for the West Australian Tourism awards; so when it finally dawned on me; that it really was the last trip for the year I had a weird mixture of emotions…. sadness, emptiness and then finally excitement – as we are now in to our FISHING season!

Our first charter begins this Friday; and now the preperation for the 2008 Whale Shark season begins!

The story was first reported by the ABC, and was recently reported on Dive News.

But the most detailed information can be found in this article: CSIRO Solve: A Model Reef

There is a lot of interest in oil and gas development on our doorstep, so this study is no doubt highly relevant in that area, not just tourism and the environment.