Mighty return

The annual humpback whale season has now commenced for 2021 along Australia’s Coral Coast, where an estimated 40,000 humpback whales migrate along the coastline towards the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef. While the spectacle is in itself beautiful, this is also the only place in Western Australia where you have the opportunity to swim with these gentle giants.

The reef stretches 300 kilometres from Carnarvon’s Red Bluff in the south to the Muiron Islands in the north and Exmouth Gulf’s Bundegi Beach in the east. 

Small group tours run from Coral Bay and Exmouth, with up to seven guests entering the water. The start of Ningaloo’s humpback whale season coincides with the latter half of the whale shark season, meaning guests may be lucky enough to swim with both creatures on a single tour.

In fact, it’s well-established that this is the only place in Australia where you can potentially swim with the marine big three – whale sharks,  manta rays and humpback whales – at once.

For those who prefer a dryer experience, whale watching tours are available from Shark Bay, Kalbarri and Geraldton.