Under the Sea (Exmouth, Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef, WA)

The original intention had been to drive straight to Exmouth because the day involved 8 hours behind the wheel. After Carnarvon, however, our discussions led us to make a detour to Coral Bay so that we could check out the location of the departure point for the Mantaray Snorkelling tour we had pre-booked for the next day. So there is no prize for guessing today's title is associated with the snorkelling trip, Under the Sea, that Disney classic from The Little Mermaid. The original animated version, I haven't seen the latest iteration.

Coral Bay

While we didn’t expect Coral Bay to be overly large, the instruction we had was to meet at Shop 12 in the shopping arcade. The rendez-vous was for 8:15 am which was going to mean a very early (for us) wake up as we would be driving back from Exmouth, 90 minutes away. Additionally, given we were going to be gone all day so we needed to locate a parking spot.

Coral Bay has one up on Monkey Mia. While it is still basically a camping and caravan “resort”, it also sports one restaurant next door to a circular shopping arcade, which comprises a supermarket, a nursing post, a bakery and multiple surf, dive and tour shops that all offer the same bewildering array of Ningaloo Reef experiences and merch opportunities. 

Out of sequence - looking to the shore form Utopia.

The uniformity of the tour shops made it imperative to locate the shop numbers so we could find our tour operator. We had the paperwork and so we were also looking for the company logo on each shop, a task made more difficult because each shop had an inner shop front and an outside shop front around the circular arcade. 

After two circumnavigations, we managed to locate shops 1 and 11, but no shop 12. How hard could this be? We are not talking about a centre the size of Miranda Fair. At this point, Jayne spotted an ‘I” information sign on one shop front and went in to get some directions. As it turns out, the company logo we had been searching for was on display, BEHIND the counter so we realised we had stumbled onto to shop 12 by accident. Halleluja!!!

So many great photos.

We checked with the girl at the register about the tour arrangements for tomorrow morning and then, having established that we could park our car at the arcade carpark all day, we drove the hour and a half to Exmouth. We felt pretty relieved that we had not turned up on the morning of the tour without having reconnoîtred the location – it would have been panic stations at an ungodly hour of the morning!

Exmouth

We rolled into the resort just after 5pm to be confronted by the tragic news that a pipe had burst in our pre-booked one bedroom suite, overlooking the beach. We would have to be re-housed for the duration of our stay. Sadly, there was only one spare unit – no other options available as the resort was fully booked due to the school holidays. Happily, this luxurious two bedroom apartment, with spa bath, also overlooked the pool area with Exmouth Beach views. The upgrade found us enjoying a space bigger than our own home. Welcome to Exmouth!

Living area/kitchen

Master bedroom

We booked a late dinner at the restaurant and adjourned to our apartment to enjoy its facilities. Unlike Monkey Mia, The Mantarays Ningaloo Resort is actually a proper resort.

Bathroom

We were awoken by an unholy ruckus at 6:15am – it was my alarm. Time to get ready for the drive back to Coral Bay. Although the drive itself was uneventful, the early morning light provided a completely different perspective of the surrounding landscape. The colours seemed softer and had more depth, without the harsh glare of the sun.

The view to the beach.

The verandah.

Ningaloo Marine Interactions

After our perfectly executed arrival at the arcade, we reported to shop 12 to sign the agreement that we would not hold them responsible if the wild marine creatures did not co-operate and turn up for the tour. We were then told that, in maybe 15 or 20 minutes, we would need to gather on the outside of the shop to meet the guides and bus to take us to the jetty for the boat departure. Hmmm, not quite the military timing precision indicated in the instruction email. Oh well – it gave us time to queue up in the bakery to ensure that we followed one of my grandfather’s golden boating rules: never go to sea on an empty stomach.

17 tourists and 3 girl snorkel guides (all blonde, tanned and tattooed) gathered and boarded the minibus for the short drive to the Coral Bay jetty. We were met there by skipper Fraser and his boat Utopia. Hopefully the day would not turn out to be orchestrated by Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch or Santo Cilauro … come on, you know what I mean. This was the same boat that took Tim Winton out to swim with the manta rays in his recent 3-part doco on Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf (check it out on ABC Iview).

After an onshore briefing which included handing our shoes in so they would not present trip hazards on the decks (unlike the flippers and snorkels which people left lying everywhere when they were not in use), we boarded the boat and Fraser himself welcomed us, as well as providing the mandatory safety briefing about what to do should the boat sink. Very reassuring.

After that, it was time to get kitted out with short sleeve/short leg wetsuits (spring suits) and any other snorkelling paraphernalia if people had not brought their own. Once in our suits, we were taken out to a reef spot that was to be used by the guides to conduct a guided snorkel to ascertain how competent and comfortable the group was in the water.

Snorkel 1 - Practise

The day was totally sunny but there was a breeze on the water that made it feel pretty cool on deck. Sunny skies would mean optimum underwater viewing but we were expecting the water temperature to be okay. We were instructed to stay as a group in the water and to follow the guides around the drop zone. We were also told to slide off the platform at the back of the boat so as not to disturb the reef and its inhabitants.

Proof.

The initial entry into the water was a bit bracing until the water inside the suits warmed up and we started to snorkel around the spot. One of the guides had an impressive underwater camera which she used throughout the day to capture the marine life, the reef itself and our tour group’s experience. The photos have since been emailed to the group to use.

The turtle.

I had my Gopro underwater camera as well to try to capture what we saw. I have had this for many years so it is not the latest in technology. It is brought out infrequently and therefore requires a review of its operation each time to refamiliarise myself with how to use it. While it can be mounted on helmets etc, I was using it as a hand-held device on the tour with varying degrees of success so we were glad that the company offered a photo record of the trip as part of the deal. Their photos feature in this post.

How colourful.

On this first drop, we were immediately aware of the difference between Ningaloo Reef and the Great Barrier Reef as well as other snorkelling spots we have been to in the South Pacific. The corals here are more muted in colour but they are far more diverse and robust in form and the amount and variety of marine life here is astounding. We saw a turtle (who quite happily swam around with the group), a sting ray, white tipped reef sharks snoozing under a rock, and so many iridescent fish of all different sizes, colours and patterns - it was truly like swimming in an aquarium.

Just resting under a rock. Promise I won't bite you.

Snorkel 2 - the Manta Ray

Once back onboard, we were served morning tea while Fraser liaised with a spotter plane to try to locate any manta rays nearby. The wind seemed to have picked up or maybe it was because we were in wetsuits but it felt really cold so we were all pretty keen to get back into the relatively warmer water. Luckily, we didn’t have too long to wait as Fraser managed locate a ray before the spotter plane could. As he headed to the next drop, the guides used the time to educate us on the manta ray and to instruct us on what we would have to do to be able to see and follow the ray.

Hi, my name is Rastas.

The rays are huge creatures (wingspan of up to 8 metres) which come into the reef to filter feed. They have no natural predators and so generally live over 50 years, unless they are hunted by humans. The Utopia is part of a ray audit team that records the movement of the rays by identifying each one through its unique markings underneath. If a new ray is spotted then the tour group names the ray for future reference. Our ray today turned out to be #41, named Rastas, who is at least 35 years old, with a wingspan of 4 metres.

Belly roll for the camera.

On this drop, we were divided into 2 groups to alternate snorkelling twice over the feeding ray so as to give everyone a clear view. Again, we were cautioned not to dive down but to swim on the surface above the ray. 

Upon entry into the water, it took some time to adjust our vision because the water where the rays feed is slightly cloudy with the food particles. After a moment, the massive creature seemed to emerge underneath us, gracefully and majestically making its way along the seabed, almost entirely black, with white tips on its tail and horns. At one point the ray flipped over, exposing its white underside with the unique black markings, revealing its identity. This behaviour was part of the feeding pattern but also allowed it to look at us above it as its eyes are underneath its body  – with no predators, it has no need to keep an eye out for possible attacks from above.

After the second drop, we were provided with hamburgers for lunch as the Utopia criss-crossed the reef area in search of marine life to show to us. This strategy yielded sightings of dugongs, turtles, dolphins and humpback whales.

Dugong and calf.

Over lunch we chatted to David, a surgeon, who turned out to be one of the Manly Sea Eagles’ doctors. He spoke about his involvement with both Manly and the Blues which was interesting.

Humpback whale.

Snorkel 3 - SHARKS!

After lunch we made our way back towards the Coral Bay area of the reef for one final drop, this time to see black tipped reef sharks at a known “cleaning station” in the coral where the sharks come to have their skin and teeth cleansed of parasites by an army of wrasse. 

The cleaning station

The station also apparently attracts tiger sharks to avail themselves of the cleaning service. I was quite thankful that today was not their day – the 8 large reef sharks that were there, were enough for me. The sight of one swimming up towards you with its mouth wide open to allow the wrasse to get at its teeth, is unnerving despite the guides’ assurances that we were safe because we were in clear water and couldn’t be mistaken for anything sharks might want to eat.

They're real.

It was truly an amazing experience and by far the best snorkelling I've done. WA is proving to be well worth the effort of getting here. We will be back.

After this drop, it was time to head back to the jetty, reclaim our shoes and drive back to Exmouth for a dinner of cheese, biscuits and leftover pasta, while watching the 3rd Ashes Test. After a long day, sleep came easily.

Until next time.