Whale shark season goes from 1 March to 31 July. The best time to see them is usually mid-season in April or May. Humpback whale season runs from 1 July to 30 November. The best time to see them is from August to September. There is a local population of manta rays, which can be found in Coral Bay all year round!

All your snorkelling equipment, food, drinking water and hot drinks are included. The day starts with a snorkel on the reef before heading out to the open ocean to search for sharks. The spotter plane is searching a 6 by 50km area of the reef starting at 9:30am and can stay up until 2:30pm. If a shark is found, we drop the snorkellers in to swim with it. After the swim, we serve lunch and, time permitting, go for a second snorkel back on the reef before heading to the jetty.

 P.S. – If you have your own snorkelling equipment and wetsuits we do recommend that you bring them with you for your own comfort & safety.

All your snorkelling equipment, food, drinking water and hot drinks are included. The day starts with a snorkel on the reef before heading out to open ocean to search for whales. The spotter plane is searching a 6 by 50km area of the reef starting at 10am and can stay up until 2pm. If a humpback whale is found, we take the boat over to investigate. If the conditions are good and the whales suitable, we will drop a maximum of 7 swimmers in the water to snorkel with the whale at any one time. After the swim, we serve lunch and, time permitting, go for a second snorkel back on the reef before heading to the jetty. P.S. – If you have your own snorkelling equipment and wetsuits we do recommend that you bring them with you for your own comfort & safety.

The simple answer is no, we do not dive with these animals. They are commonly found on the ocean surface in Coral Bay waters on the Ningaloo Reef and our Interaction Licence conditions do not allow it. The use of motorised scooters and shark shields are also not permitted on our tours. It’s snorkelling only with them!

You do not need to know how to snorkel, but it certainly helps. The more confident you are in the water, the more comfortable you’ll be on the tour. The crew are happy to help show you how to fit a mask and snorkel and are there to answer any questions. You will have the opportunity to practise during our morning snorkel prior to your wildlife interaction.

It depends on the individual animal. Whether it’s a whale shark or humpback whale, each animal will behave differently. Some are quite curious and calm whereas others are moving faster and seem uninterested in being around swimmers. On average the animals are swimming on or near the surface at a slow pace for them, which can be a relatively brisk swim for us humans! Be prepared to do a fair amount of swimming throughout the day.

We can take 20 swimmers on our Whale Shark Adventure Tour and 14 swimmers plus 6 observers on our Humpback Whale Adventure Tour.

There is no age limit on the Whale Shark Adventure Tour or the Humpback Whale Adventure Tour. All children must always be supervised by an adult. If your child is staying on the boat during a swim, there must be an adult on the boat with them.

Yes! Every effort is made to provide a professional photography service onboard every one of our Whale Shark & Humpback Whale tours. Using top of the range photography equipment they aim to capture all your memories throughout your tour with us. After your tour has concluded, photography packages are available for purchase directly from your tour photographer.

We’ve got two! We also offer scenic flights because we are Ningaloo Reef Air too!

The water ranges from 25-28°C in summer (December to February); 20-24°C in spring (September to November) and autumn (April to June); and 18-22°C in winter (June to August).

Most of the snorkel sites we go to are within the reef and are between 8-12m. We guide snorkellers around the more exposed areas of coral that can be as shallow as 1 – 2m. During a whale shark or humpback whale interaction we are most often in the open ocean, outside of the reef….. it’s deep! However, we remain safely on the surface, our spotter plane is keeping an eye out and our trusty vessel is nearby. We’ll look after you, you’ll love it!

 It changes every day. Visibility can be as much as 20-25m or as little as 5m. On average it’s around 10-15m.

There are hundreds of species of fish on the reef plus sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, invertebrates, whales and more. There is no guarantee of seeing anything (other than coral!) but we do our best to show you as much marine life as possible.

Conditions on the inside of the reef are typically calmer and more sheltered than the outer reef. Outside of the reef and in open ocean conditions vary widely. Some days are flat whereas other days there can be swell up to a couple metres. We will cancel tours if the skipper decides it is unsafe to take people on the boat. If you think you may get seasick, it’s best to take medication! Kwells or Travacalm are the most common brands in Australia and can be purchased at the local supermarket. Please note we do not have any at our shop or on the boats.

All tours meet at our shop. We’re located in the Coral Bay Shopping Arcade.  It’s an easy 5-minute walk from anywhere in town! If you’re driving from Exmouth, it takes 90 minutes. We do not offer pickups for our tours.

Yes. Please email admin@catours.com.au for private charter, or school group enquiries.

No, we’re sorry. No hire available however we do provide all required snorkelling equipment for our tours.