Ningaloo's Best Kept Secret

Visit the Ningaloo coast in spring to be rewarded with frolicking whales and vibrant wildflowers

Spring on Ningaloo Reef is a time of renewal, when the humpback highway teems with 40,000 acrobatic whales, turtles gather in the shallows to breed, and on the land, wildflowers erupt in vibrant colour. The season is often overlooked by visitors for autumn and winter, but with fewer visitors in town, spring also offers a wider choice of accommodation.

Spring surprises

Most travellers visit Ningaloo between April and July, timing their stay for peak whale shark season. But spring at Ningaloo offers many marine wonders, including other migrating megafauna.

Take a spring dip with humpback whales as they journey south towards Antarctica for summer. It’s a time where tour operators switch from whale shark swims to eco or megafauna tours. If wildlife conditions are right, guests on these boats may slip into the ocean with the curious cetaceans for an unforgettable encounter.

Other members of Ningaloo’s Big 5 may also be spotted in spring. Manta rays, the elegant filter-feeders of the deep, reside at Ningaloo year-round. Sea turtles are plentiful in spring, and lucky visitors may even spot dugongs grazing on seagrasses.

As for the famous whale sharks, although they start to depart Ningaloo by August, spring holds a little-known secret. In recent years, whale shark sightings and swims have continued right through to November.

Beyond the Big 5

As impressive as these big animals are, Ningaloo offers a plethora of experiences. Paddle a sea kayak through the glimmering, shallow lagoon with Exmouth Adventure Company, or step aboard a Ningaloo Glass Bottom Boat. And families will love the Ningaloo Discovery Centre and Aquarium, with giant tanks and kid-friendly displays.

Take a break from the water and visit the simply awe-inspiring Cape Range National Park. Yardie Creek Boat Tours explores the limestone gorge of Yardie Creek, where black-flanked rock wallabies bounce across cliff walls.

In spring, Cape Range is a wildflower bonanza, with bright red Sturt’s desert peas blooming, wattle bushes decked in golden baubles, and fluffy, purple mulla mulla, rippling in the breeze.

For an immersive Cape Range experience, join Trek Ningaloo for a single or multi-day hike. Alternatively, tour with Exmouth Bus Charters to the rugged Charles Knife Canyon and Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, where you may spot breaching whales.

Make time for the 1.5-hour journey south to Coral Bay, and don’t miss a pit stop at Bullara Station for their legendary coffee and scones — a true outback treat. Once you roll into Coral Bay, adventure awaits. Feel the thrill of the dunes with Coastal Adventure Tours, where you’ll ride quad bikes across golden sands, weaving between pristine bays and spotting an abundance of wildlife along the way.

Prefer something a little smoother? Set out on the turquoise waters with Coral Bay Eco Tours, offering incredible coral and marine-life encounters, or unwind aboard the luxurious sailing catamaran with Sail Ningaloo for an unforgettable experience at sea.

Ningaloo skies

For the highest vantage point possible, strap in for a thrilling ride in a microlight aircraft with Birds Eye View. Your unobstructed vista may reveal dugongs or manta rays in Exmouth Gulf, before you cross the labyrinth gorges of Cape Range and the glorious Ningaloo coastline.

As the clear cobalt sky drains to night, Ningaloo’s pristine, dark skies are dazzling. Join Ningaloo Stars for star gazing through mobile telescopes, observing planets, deep-sky objects and constellations.

Start planning now, your spring Ningaloo adventure awaits.