A full day on Ningaloo Reef out of Exmouth in the late season, when humpback whales are passing the coast and you can slip into the water with them, alongside snorkelling on the coral and the chance of manta rays, turtles and dolphins. A spotter plane finds the wildlife, and lunch, gear and photos are included.
Days
- Full day (about 6 hours)
Age
- All ages; 13+ to swim with humpbacks
Group size
- Shared boat, 1 crew per 10 guests
Start / finish
- Exmouth / Tantabiddi / Ningaloo Reef / Exmouth
Return
- See itinerary for details
Transport
- Courtesy bus and two-deck tour boat
Meals
- Morning tea, buffet lunch, afternoon drinks and nibbles
Route
Included experiences
- Ningaloo Reef — snorkel the coral gardens
- Humpback whales — swim with whales on their migration
- Spotter plane — guided to manta rays, turtles and dolphins
- Upper deck — watch for whales from the boat
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
5.0
Based on 59 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 59 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the professionalism, organisation and friendliness of the crew, noting that safety briefings were clear and staff remained attentive throughout the day. The most striking aspect of the tour is the number and quality of whale shark encounters, with most groups experiencing between four and eight swims alongside these animals, often in excellent visibility with extended time in the water. Additional wildlife sightings are frequent and varied, including humpback whales, dolphins, dugongs, turtles, manta rays and various sharks, whilst the included food and refreshments are described as plentiful and well-suited to dietary requirements. The tour caters well to families and those with varying swimming abilities, with guides offering support and encouragement to build confidence. The only caveat mentioned is that the tour involves a fast-paced, physically demanding experience requiring decent swimming ability to keep up with the whale sharks, particularly in rougher sea conditions.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
Our skipper Brad spotted a mother and calf dugong to start the day, then we snorkelled with turtles and a crocodile fish before several drops with a slow, relaxed whale shark. After lunch we had another snorkel and dolphins rode the bow on the way home, a day of family memories.
The skipper and crew looked after us brilliantly. We had four snorkels including the whale shark swim, saw whales breaching and two dugongs, and the food and drinks were great. We'd go again in a heartbeat.
The team went out of their way to look after our young family so everyone could enjoy the whale shark swim. The guides in the water were knowledgeable and made it easy and fun.
We saw giant blue gropers, dolphins, a dugong, humpbacks and turtles, and had five drift swims with whale sharks. A tiger shark finished the day, which I happily watched from the boat. A day we'll never forget.
We did the whale shark swim and had plenty of time in the water with a whale shark and snorkelling the reef. We also saw humpbacks, dolphins, turtles and a dugong, and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable.
Wonderful, attentive staff and loads of wildlife. They took their time and gave us lots of swims with the whale sharks.
