- Ningaloo hosts 500 different species of fish, and 250 species of corals
- Meet the turtles and schools of striped snapper at Labyrinth
- Seek Reef Sharks and Sea Snakes of Blizzard Ridge in Lighthouse Bay
- Enjoy the gently currents and colourful corals of Muiron Island
- Dave’s bommies - impressive and vast mounds of coral
- Night dive is included
DAY 1:
Board the vessel between 3-4pm at Exmouth Marina for vessel orientation and introductions. Depart marina at 5pm. We then cruise out to our first site, watching the sunset over the Cape Range while enjoying a social BBQ dinner to meet everyone on board. This first cruise is a short 2 hour steam to our first anchorage where we spend the night.
DAY 2:
(this will be the time schedule for the rest of the trip)
Continental breakfast is set up for anyone wanting a light breakfast before their first dive.
7am – dive 1 is at Ningaloo’s signature dive site; Blizzard Ridge in Lighthouse Bay, aptly named due to the abundance of glass fish that turn the site into a snow blizzard. Blizzard ridge has a maximum depth of 14m and is known for its impressive fish life as well as regular sightings of reef sharks and sea snakes.
8.30am – cooked breakfast of your choice.
10am – dive 2 at Labyrinth. This site is also in Lighthouse Bay so just a short travel time and similar depths to dive 1. Labyrinth is known for its regular turtle sightings and schools of striped snapper.
11am – morning tea of freshly baked pastries.
12.30 – buffet lunch will be served while we travel to the west side.
2pm – dive 3 at Nicks Lumps. Nicks Lumps has 3 pinnacles that rise from 18m up to a depth of 10m at the top. This site has impressive hard coral structures.
3pm – afternoon tea provided as a light refreshment as we relax between dives.
4pm – dive 4 at Nicks Lumps. This is a large site with a big area to explore, no two dives are the same on the Ningaloo!
After our final dive we will cruise to the inside of the reef for our evening anchorage.
The Ningaloo is a fringing reef which means the reef starts at the shore line and extends out 2-3km. Diving is conducted on the outside of the reef and anchorages at night are in the protected waters of the ‘lagoon’, the inside of the reef. Watch the sunset while enjoying a cocktail from our top deck. This deck is 8m above the waterline so is perfect for spotting the abundance of marine life the Ningaloo has to offer.
7pm – Dinner is served. Two course plated dinners catering to most dietary requirements are offered every evening. Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine or beer with dinner.
DAY 3:
Dive 1 – at Beverly Hills, this is a deeper dive consisting of large, dense rising coral structures. Maximum depth of 24m up to 16m. This is a great site for seeing sharks and larger pelagic fish.
Dive 2 – at 3 fins, known for its gullies and overhangs full of glass fish. Maximum 16m depth.
After our second dive we will cruise south along the Ningaloo reef, spotting what the Ningaloo has to offer. During humpback whale season we see an abundance of humpbacks breaching and travelling with their calves, during the summer we see mating turtles and seabirds bombing on bait balls.
Dive 3 – at Dave’s bommies. Impressive and vast mounds of coral rising from 18m to 8m. Large amount of fish life and nudibranchs, this site is further south and therefore rarely frequented.
Dive 4 – at Dave’s bommies. Exploring the other side of the bommies slowly working our way shallower.
Dive 5 – is a Night dive! This dive will be at Milyering passage, a shallow dive of 7m on the inside of the lagoon with large Porites corals and many types of crustaceans sighted at night.
DAY 4:
Dive 1 – at Hole in the wall, south. This site has large swim throughs and interesting structures. Big schools of fish hide on the shadowy structure. This site has a maximum depth of 16m.
Dive 2 – at Hole in the wall, north. Exploring the north side of this famous dive site.
Dive 3 – at Mandu Pinnacles. Maximum depth 18m. Classic spur and groove shaped coral channels and large schools of grazing convict surgeonfish.
Dive 4 – at Sand Patch. A shallower dive at around 6-12m. This site has a large sandy bottom fringed by overhangs and hard corals. Reef sharks and Manta Rays are commonly sighted!
DAY 5:
Dive 1 – at Beverly Hills, back to this iconic but deeper dive site for the first dive of the day. This site is vast and can easily take 4 or 5 dives to cover the entire area.
Dive 2 – at Floats. A shallower dive around 12-14m maximum with varying structure, rocky outcrops and large hard corals. A good site for spotting Mantas and turtles.
Dive 3 – at Dibley’s drop off. This is a site further out from the reef edge, ranging from 24m to 16m with swim throughs full of Cod.
Dive 4 – at Gulliver’s in Lighthouse Bay. Maximum depth 14m. Spot the more unusual marine life here such as frog fish, and mantis shrimp in the rocky outcrops.
DAY 6:
Cruise to the Muiron Islands.
Dive 1 – at Cod Spot. On the west side of south Muiron island. This site is one of the deeper sites on the islands with a maximum depth of 16m. The Muiron islands are known for their rich, healthy and vibrant soft corals . Cod spot is aptly named for sightings of many different species of cod as well as having a large rock cleaning station with a good chance of seeing Manta rays.
Dive 2 – at Fraggle Rock, two large pinnacles covered in soft corals make up this site. Depths range from 12-8m. Look for Nudibranchs as you circle the pinnacles.
Dive 3 – at Aquarium, this third site features a lovely overhang covered in sea fans and a swim through. Depths range from a maximum of 12m up to 5m, great for hanging out with beautiful coral during your safety stop.
Dive 4 – at Whalebone, a favourite among divers. Large swim throughs and an abundance of soft corals are a highlight at this shallow site. Maximum 8m allowing for lots of light and perfect for photography.
Dive 5 – is a night dive at Whalebone. Seeing this site at night is completely different as the feather stars and other echinoderms are active and the swim throughs are mesmerising in the dark.
DAY 7:
Dive 1 – at The Spit, this site is on the west side of North Muiron and features 3 large swim throughs filled with glass fish. Maximum depth 18m this is a wall type dive, finishing the dive on the top side of the wall on soft coral gardens.
Dive 2 – at The Maze named as such as the whole sites features tunnels and swim throughs linking to each other. Maximum depth 12m and again featuring plenty of the soft corals that the west side of these islands are known for.
Dive 3 – at East Side Bommies. This is the final dive of the trip as we allow adequate time for travel back to the marina and for customers flying home the following day. This dive site has a maximum depth of 8m and is known for its many huge Porites coral bommies. These corals are impressive at around 500 years old. A great dive for macro photography, with numerous nudibranch, shrimps, cowries, tube worms and crabs.
Cruise back to Exmouth marina arriving by 5pm.
Final cocktail party and dinner and onboard. If guests wish to go out for dinner or drinks on this final night recommendations from the staff will be provided. There is a resort a short walk from the marina with exceptional al fresco dining.
DAY 8:
7am – A continental breakfast is served on the final day.
9am – Departure from the vessel. Guests will be dropped off at their chosen accommodation or the airport.
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.
Bunk beds2 peopleShareable
Double bed2 peopleNon shareable
Twin or double bed2 peopleShareable