Oh Coral Bay you will always have my heart.

If you haven’t had the chance to visit this beautiful destination, add it to your Australian road trip itinerary… yes I mean now! From white sandy beaches to striking colourful coral, this small section of the Western Australian coast line is a piece of paradise. Would I have stayed there forever if I could? ABSOLUTELY.

But further travel was calling our names, we will be back one day.

Where is Coral Bay
Best Time to Visit Coral Bay
8 Things you Should Do in Coral Bay
Where to Stay in Coral Bay
How Long to Stay in Coral Bay
Where to Eat in Coral Bay
Your Next Trip to Coral Bay

Where is Coral Bay

If you have been planning on visiting Western Australia you will have heard of Exmouth. One of the prime locations situated on the Coral Coast and known to be the gateway to the mysterious Ningaloo Reef, home to the roaming emus of Cape Range National Park.

Located just 1 hour and 40 minutes south of Exmouth is a cute little coastal settlement. For some it doesn’t look like much at first, but once you place your face beneath the waters surface you are greeted with one of the most untouched and beautiful fringing reefs in the world. Not until then will you understand why it is named Coral Bay.

Best Time to Visit Coral Bay

The best time to visit the bay is all dependant on what you want from your trip. If you are looking for a beach vacation the best time to visit is between March – October. Even though this is classed as Australias winter time, days are mild and dry. During this time is when most of the main tour operations take place with the Ningaloos Big 3.

Between the months of December to February it is very hot but can also be temperamental with high winds and potential thunderstorms.

8 Things you Should do in Coral Bay

A lot of people come to Coral Bay and ask the question “But what else is there to do here?”. Coral Bay is a place to relax and enjoy the nature surrounding you, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of activities you can be doing with all the family.

Snorkelling

First and foremost, during your visit you need to snorkel. The Ningaloo is special for many reasons but we are extremely lucky that it is a fringing reef. This means you can walk straight off the beach to get to it and no need to book a tour to take you out if you don’t want too, however they do know all the great spots!

Relax at Bills Bay

After a busy day out on the water there is nothing better than relaxing on the beach and listening to the waves. Just a stones throw away from all accommodation options. You don’t need to carry your beach day essentials very far.

Dive the Ningaloo Reef

Have you ever taken your first breath underwater? Those first few feel unnatural, scary even, but it allows you to get down to a pristine underwater world. True natural beauty that you can’t comprehend when walking along the beach at the surface.

Coral Bay was where I turned into a mermaid. I have been scared of the deep blue for majority of my life, but there is something calming about watching all the marine life go about their day.

If you are a seasoned water baby or a complete beginner Ningaloo Reef Dive has something for everyone from a discover scuba dive to your divemaster course. Don’t fancy doing a course? You can head out for a day trip on the reef, they even include a manta ray snorkel as part of the tour. It is one of my favourite experiences during our time in Australia, you just have to dive!

4×4 Quad Biking Tour

Fancy something a little bit different? Coastal Adventure Tours have got your back, they offer quad bike tours over the incredible sand dunes around Coral Bay. Some tours even include time to snorkel at some harder to reach beaches like Five Fingers reef. Don’t fancy a snorkel? Jump on their sunset tour and experience riding the sand dunes at dusk and watch the sky pop with dashes of pink and orange.

Go Fishing

If you would prefer to be above the water, you can fish in certain areas around coral bay. Please bare in mind that this is an important and rare ecosystem and fishing is only allowed in certain areas, respect the marine park and only fish in designated areas.

Never tried deep sea fishing? Seaforce charters have daily charters that head out past the reef and cater to all experience levels.

Snorkel with One of the Big 3

Manta Rays

The Ningaloo Reef is world renowned for not only its marine diversity but its large marine animals that come to visit each year.

Coral Bay is lucky enough to have resident Manta Rays that can be spotted in the area all year round. No matter when you choose to visit their Manta Ray snorkel tours are always running throughout the year, depending on the weather of course. They are calm and majestic creatures, any time you spend in the water with them is a natural therapy. With their soothing presence it is a must do for you next visit.

Whale Sharks

Did you know that you can swim with the largest shark in the world in Coral Bay? These beautiful sharks travel across tropical waters all around the world to feed on as much plankton as they can. They visit Coral Bay each year during their migration between March – June to feed on the plankton and krill that are attracted by the coral spawn!

“Swim with a shark?! You must be kidding”

I will let you in to a little secret, they may be the biggest shark in the world but they are actually filter feeders. This means that they open their mouths while they are moving through the water and filter out the food particles within it. They are not harmful to humans!

These gentle giants have a mesmerising and unique pattern of spots that not only make them a beautiful sight to see, but these patterns allow scientists to identify each individual shark!

Make sure to book on a tour with Ningaloo Reef Dive or Coral Bay Eco tours to experience an encounter of a lifetime.

As with any nature tour we want to see as much of these animals as possible but always remember they are wild creatures and we cannot predict where they will be and when, all tours will try they best but it will never be 100% guaranteed.

Humpback Whales

From July to November each year you might be lucky enough to see Humpback Whales on their long migration. This migration is one of the longest of any mammal on the planet. They travel from Antartica all the way up to Northern Australia to give birth to their calves in the warmer waters before making the journey all the way back to Antartica. This is around 6670kms!!

The warmer waters provide a safe place for these young calves to begin their life, but unfortunately there is not enough food to sustain them all year round. The cold waters of Antarctica have an abundance of krill which is why once the calves are big enough they will start the journey back!

During this migration is when you have the opportunity to not only see the whales from above the sea, you can snorkel with them too!

Visit the Shark Sanctuary

A short walk north along the white sandy beaches of bills bay will take you too a shallow inlet. At first it looks like small area of beach but it has a little secret in store.

It is a reef shark nursery! A vital home for young sharks to start their lives and learn all the skills they need to take on the larger ocean. We found that the best time of year to see sharks in the sanctuary is between October – March, sometimes spotting up to 200.

To give yourself the best chance of spotting these young sharks, check the tide times as they prefer to be roaming around this area at high tide. Visibility is also best on a calm day, if it is too windy you won’t get the best view.

It is around a 20 minute to get to the sanctuary and wear appropriate footwear as the rocks can get slippy along the way.

As always be respectful, we don’t want to disturb or scare them away from this unique environment.

Watch the Sunset

What can I say, the sunsets of Western Australia are spectacular. I haven’t seen anything quite like it before. Whether you watch from the sand dunes around the bay or with a drink in hand at the Shades bar, you will be amazed.

Where to Stay in Coral Bay

Located right next the beach there are a variety of accommodation options to choose from. When planning your visit keep in mind that it is a lot smaller than the closest town Exmouth so there is less availability during peak times.

Looking to camp or park up in your campervan? You can stay with either Peoples Park or Bayview Campground.

If it is a room you are after you can choose between Ningaloo Reef Resort, Bayview Lodge rooms or if on a budget the local backpackers. There are even a few homes that are available to rent for your coral bay adventure.

All of these options are a short walk away from the bay.

How Long to Stay in Coral Bay

This one is entirely up to you, if you are content with an easy life by the beach, snorkelling every day and watching the sun go down then a week is the perfect amount.

If you are on a long Western Australia road trip and want to stop in a for a look then a day will give you time to snorkel the reef and see the area.

I am extremely biased as it was my home for 9 months and I really miss the magic of the reef. If you are a lover of the ocean I recommend staying for longer, there is so much to see underneath the blue.

Where to Eat in Coral Bay

If you haven’t realised by now… Coral Bay is just a singular street but don’t worry there are a few places you can stop by for food.

The first stop you will come past on your drive in is Bills Bar. With a beer garden, restaurant, sports bar and a bottle shop it has something for everyone. Open from 11am to late, make sure to check out any. of the upcoming events or live music! Great spot for a beer or three after a day in the sun.

Shades restaurant is a part of the Ningaloo Reef Resort and is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is also seating outside to enjoy the view of the bay with your meal.

Also open for breakfast, lunch and dinner is Fins Cafe. A cute little cafe with outdoor seating located right next to peoples park. It is a popular spot so make sure to book ahead to save your table.

Need you pizza fix? Look no further than Reefs Cafe. This was my go for my pizza fix and they were delicious. They don’t just serve pizza though there are plenty of options for everyone. Located next door to the Bayview reception.

Just looking for a quick snack before a day out on the water? There is a bakery right in the shopping arcade that serves great coffee, pies, sandwiches, fresh bread and even smoothies. Oh don’t forget the cakes too!

Your Next Trip to Coral Bay

You wouldn’t believe a small section of the Coral Coast in Western Australia would have so much to do. Make sure you don’t miss it on your next WA road trip it has so much to offer it is truly magical.