Illustrated day on the reef, dawn to night — a smiling rising sun, a snorkeller over a manta ray and turtle at midday, and a crescent moon over the sunset

A day on the reef

Daily guide

What's good around Exmouth, hour by hour — each in-season experience placed in its best window by the real sun, moon, tide and sea breeze for the day. Step through dates to scout a trip.

Friday 21 August

Solid bars are pinned to the real sun, moon, tide and sea breeze for this date; faded bars are a looser part of the day.

6am81012pm246810
Sundawn 6:21 · sunrise 6:44 · solar noon 12:27 · sunset 18:11 · dusk 18:34
Breeze➤➤➤calmbreezyreef➤➤➤calmtip➤➤calmtownreef SW breeze ~14:00 · tip calm · town calm · up to 22 km/h
Tide▽▲▽low 10:18 (0.8 m) · high 15:59 (1.5 m) · low 21:00 (1.1 m) — Exmouth gauge, above LAT
Mandu Mandu Gorge loop6:04–8:04 · sunrise 6:44 · dawn for rock-wallabies — and no shade laterMandu Mandu rock-wallabies6:04–8:04 · sunrise 6:44 · most active in the soft early lightCharles Knife sunrise drive6:04–8:04 · sunrise 6:44 · low light throws the canyons into reliefBadjirrajirra Loop walk6:04–8:04 · sunrise 6:44 · start at first light — fully exposedVlamingh Head sunrise6:04–8:04 · sunrise 6:44Yardie Creek rim walk6:44–8:00 · cooler ends of the dayWobiri reef break6:44–8:00 · calm all day (≤16 km/h) · light easterly mornings, before the sea breezeTurquoise Bay drift snorkelSW sea breeze ~14:00Lakeside reef snorkelSW sea breeze ~14:00Yardie Creek paddleSW sea breeze ~14:00 · the gorge funnels windSandy Bay swimSW sea breeze ~14:00Sandy Bay SUP & flat waterSW sea breeze ~14:00 · the wind crowd takes over once the breeze buildsBundegi reef snorkelcalm all day (≤16 km/h) · a good fallback when the west coast blows outBundegi SUPcalm all day (≤16 km/h)Tantabiddi lagoon snorkelcalm all day (≤16 km/h)Exmouth scenic flightbook a morning flight — calmest air and best lightDunes surf breakmid tide ~13:09 · calm all day (≤16 km/h) · mid tide — the left gets shallow on the dropOsprey Bay drift snorkel12:29–14:00 · rising to high 15:59 · 1.5 m · SW sea breeze ~14:00Oyster Stacks coral snorkelaround high 15:59 · 1.5 m · needs ~1.2 m of water over the coralBundegi kayak trailaround high 15:59 · 1.5 m · calm all day (≤16 km/h) · snorkel the moorings with water over the reefVlamingh Head sunset17:26–18:31 · sunset 18:11Jurabi dune sunset17:26–18:31 · sunset 18:11Milyering dark-sky stargazingpoor tonight — 64% moon up through the evening · let your eyes adjust ~20 min

Sun and moon are computed for Exmouth; times are AWST. Tides are computed from the Exmouth gauge (20.3 km away; TICON-4 constituents, CC BY 4.0, DGFI-TUM) — astronomical tide above LAT, no weather surge. Not for navigation. Wind is an Open-Meteo forecast at 3 points across the cape (reef, tip, town): hours shade darker as the wind builds (hatched = 20+ km/h sea breeze), arrows show where it blows toward, and hovering an hour gives the number.