Coral spawning

Each autumn Ningaloo stages a mass coral spawn, where hundreds of colonies release their gamete bundles at almost the same moment. Triggered by the moon, water temperature and fading daylight, the release sends millions of tiny pink and orange spheres drifting up like an inverted, slow-motion snowfall; by morning they gather into slicks on the surface.

It is the engine of the ecosystem as well as a spectacle — the flood of nutrients drives the plankton bloom that helps bring whale sharks and manta rays to the reef. Because Coral Bay’s reef hugs the shore, the spawn happens within reach of the beaches, but it is at night, over only a few nights a year, so it takes timing and a little luck.

The spawn peaks roughly 7–10 nights after the March or April full moon, with the exact nights shifting with water temperature — confirm predicted dates locally.