Dive Sites in Exmouth, Western Australia

5m max · Reef

A shallow shore snorkel site within the Mandu Sanctuary Zone on Ningaloo Reef, accessible directly from North Mandu Beach approximately 65km south of Exmouth. One of the closest points where the reef meets the shore in Cape Range National Park — just metres from the water's edge — with dense plate, staghorn and brain coral gardens and outstanding fish diversity in 1–5m of water.

25m max · Wall

A boat dive site on the outer western face of Ningaloo Reef adjacent to the Milyering Discovery Centre in Cape Range National Park, offering a classic Ningaloo wall dive with surge channels, hard coral formations and reliable encounters with reef sharks, turtles and large pelagics. One of several named wall sites dived by Exmouth operators on the western reef, best known for its big fish life and exposure to the open Indian Ocean.

25m max · Wall

A highly regarded boat dive site on the western Ningaloo Reef, named with characteristic Exmouth operator humour, featuring the "Bait Crack" — a renowned swim-through that gives the site its character. Hard coral formations with surge channels, walls and overhangs drop to 25m, with big pelagics, reef sharks and turtles as standard encounters and all three of Ningaloo's mega-fauna seasonally.

15m max · Reef

A boat dive and snorkel site on the inner lagoon side of Ningaloo Reef within the Osprey Sanctuary Zone, featuring a field of coral bommies accessible to all experience levels. Consistently rated by Exmouth operators as an outstanding snorkel and dive site, with whitetip reef sharks, shovelnose sharks and diverse reef fish reliably present among the hard coral formations.

6m max · Reef

A shallow, species-rich coral garden within the Tantabiddi Sanctuary Zone on Ningaloo Reef, accessed by kayak or boat from Tantabiddi Boat Ramp approximately 30km south of Exmouth. Two named kayak mooring sites — Staghorns and The Bombies — sit within a 1.5–3.5m deep coral garden of massive staghorn and boulder formations estimated up to 300 years old, rated among the best snorkel sites in Cape Range National Park.

30m max · Reef

A submerged offshore bank on the Exmouth Gulf side of North West Cape, known primarily as a productive pelagic fishing and diving mark. Well-documented for large aggregations of Spanish mackerel and a range of Gulf pelagic species, Helby Bank offers open-water diving over deeper mixed substrate in the calm, sheltered and nutrient-rich waters of the Exmouth Gulf.

27m max · Wall

A celebrated deep wall dive at the northern tip of the North West Cape peninsula in the Lighthouse Bay Sanctuary Zone, reaching 27m and known for dramatic rocky outcrops, coral ledges, deep cracks and crevices packed with exotic marine life. Rated among Exmouth's best deeper dives alongside Helga's Tunnels and Blizzard Ridge, Dibley's Drop-Off consistently delivers encounters with sea snakes, crayfish, reef sharks and large schools of fish in exceptional visibility.

18m max · Reef

A highly regarded dive site in the Lighthouse Bay Sanctuary Zone at the northern tip of North West Cape, distinguished by a permanent manta ray cleaning station that draws oceanic and reef mantas year-round. Depths of 12–18m over pristine coral formations, rocky ledges and crevices deliver a diverse marine life experience in a fully protected, moored sanctuary zone.

20m max · Reef

A locally named dive site in the Muiron Islands Marine Management Area, approximately 15km north of the North West Cape and 1 hour 20 minutes by boat from Exmouth. Named for its reliable shark encounters, the site features the characteristic Muiron Islands mix of rocky ledges, swim-throughs, soft and hard coral formations and exceptional fish life typical of one of the most biodiverse island dive destinations on Australia's Coral Coast.

8m max · Reef

A shallow bommie field on the eastern side of South Muiron Island featuring massive ancient Porites coral heads estimated at up to 500 years old — some of the oldest documented living coral structures in the Ningaloo region. Maximum depth of 8m and exceptional macro life including nudibranchs, shrimps, cowries, tube worms and crabs make this the premier macro photography dive in the Muiron Islands, sheltered from ocean swell by the island's eastern aspect.

20m max · Reef

Widely regarded as the most impressive dive near Exmouth, the Cod Spot runs parallel to South Muiron Island and is famous for its giant resident potato cod and a permanent manta ray cleaning station. A World Heritage listed limestone reef with vibrant soft coral gardens, glassfish swim-throughs and drift diving potential, delivering some of the most exciting large-animal encounters in the entire Ningaloo Marine Park.

8m max · Reef

A diver favourite on the western side of South Muiron Island, celebrated for its spectacular soft coral gardens in vivid hues and large swim-throughs packed with schools of glassfish — completely transparent fish that swarm through the overhangs in mesmerising clouds. Maximum depth of 8m makes this an accessible, visually stunning dive that showcases the Muiron Islands' defining character as a world-class soft coral destination.

18m max · Drift

A dramatic rocky ledge at the Muiron Islands that plunges to 18m with numerous swim-throughs along its edge, rated as one of the premier drift dives in the Exmouth area. Divers are enveloped by hundreds of baitfish in the swim-throughs, while grey nurse sharks and turtles sleep peacefully under ledges and large manta rays glide past. Vivid hard coral formations in pale pink, lavender, peach and yellow stretch across the deeper sections in one of the most colourful reef displays in the region.

8m max · Reef

A sheltered shore snorkel site within the Lakeside Sanctuary Zone on Ningaloo Reef, approximately 52km south of Exmouth near the Milyering Discovery Centre. Large coral bommies rise from the sandy floor just 100m offshore between sanctuary markers and two yellow buoys, attracting turtles, reef sharks, stingrays and dugongs in calm, accessible conditions that suit beginners and experienced snorkellers alike. Often recommended as a quieter alternative to Turquoise Bay with equally spectacular marine life.

6m max · Drift

One of the most iconic and accessible reef drift snorkels in the world, Turquoise Bay Drift carries snorkellers on a natural current south to north over vibrant coral gardens just metres from one of Western Australia's most celebrated beaches. Located ~60km south of Exmouth in Cape Range National Park, the drift runs through a break in the outer Ningaloo reef wall and delivers turtles, reef sharks, rays and hundreds of fish species in crystal clear shallow water with no swimming effort required.

4m max · Reef

A unique and iconic shore snorkel site within the Mandu Sanctuary Zone featuring five rocky islets encrusted with stacked oysters protruding from one of the shallowest sections of Ningaloo Reef. Located at the narrowest point of the Ningaloo lagoon (~300m to the outer reef), the resulting concentration of marine life is extraordinary — vibrant coral gardens teeming with fish, turtles and reef sharks begin the moment you enter the water. High tide access only — minimum 1.2m tidal height required.

8m max · semi-enclosed

A sheltered lagoon snorkel site within the Osprey Bay Sanctuary Zone on Ningaloo Reef, nicknamed "the aquarium" by locals for its extraordinary marine life density just 100m from shore. Accessible by beach walk, boat ramp or kayak — the Osprey Bay Sanctuary Zone kayak trail extends to two mooring buoys on the reef for snorkellers wanting to reach the outer reef features. Sea turtles are reliably spotted within metres of the shoreline making this one of the most dependable turtle encounters on the Ningaloo Coast.

5m max · Wreck

The scattered remains of the SS Mildura, a 91.5m steel screw steamer that struck the outer reef at the tip of North West Cape in March 1907 while carrying 481 bullocks from Wyndham to Fremantle. Two large boilers are visible above the waterline at low tide and can be observed from shore or accessed on foot across the flat rock platform. Snorkelling is possible only in ideal conditions — the site is officially classed as unsafe due to strong surge, currents and twisted iron wreckage.

15m max · semi-enclosed

Rated among the world's top ten shore dives and one of Australia's most celebrated dive sites, the Exmouth Navy Pier is a 300m active Australian Navy facility on the Exmouth Gulf side of North West Cape that hosts over 200 fish species among its pylon-clad soft coral forest. Accessible only through licensed operator Dive Ningaloo at slack tide, it is often described as a marine oasis — teeming with life from the resident Queensland grouper "the BFG" to grey nurse sharks, wobbegongs, barracuda, and a dazzling array of macro critters and nudibranchs.