Humpback whale swims
Humpback whale swimsEach winter tens of thousands of humpbacks migrate past Ningaloo — and Coral Bay is one of the few places on Earth you can legally swim with them.
Between winter and spring one of the planet’s great humpback migrations rolls past the Ningaloo Coast as whales travel between Antarctic feeding grounds and the warm calving waters of the north-west. The reef-sheltered water becomes a resting and nursing ground, and the whales are often seen breaching and tail-slapping offshore.
What makes Ningaloo special is the in-water experience: its State waters are currently one of the only places in WA where licensed operators can run swim-with-humpback tours. Coral Bay tours tend to open around the start of July — a month before Exmouth’s — and run into late October.
Expect a wild experience, not a guaranteed one — guides only allow swims with calm, curious whales. Even when swims don’t happen, the day usually delivers surface watching, whale song through a hydrophone, and bonus dolphins, mantas and turtles.
When to go
On the reef from June; swim tours run roughly July–October, peaking July–August.
See the full when-to-visit calendar →Experiences
How it works
- Licensed full-day boat tour for the in-water swim; spotter planes find calm whales and small groups enter in turns.
- Whale-watching cruises run too, if you’d rather stay dry.
Book a tour
- coralbayCoral Bay EcotoursIn-water humpback interactions late Jun–mid Oct — a reef snorkel first, then the whales.Tour operator
- Ningaloo Marine InteractionsNingaloo Marine InteractionsWatch or swim — regulated humpback encounters with spotter-plane help (Jul–Sep).Tour operator
- ningalooreefwhalesharks.auNingaloo Reef WhalesharksHumpback swim-and-watch, mid Jul–Aug, as tens of thousands of whales stream past.Tour operator
Independent listings.
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