What is Exmouth known for?
Exmouth is a small town on Western Australia's North West Cape, known as the gateway to Ningaloo Reef. Visitors come to swim with whale sharks, snorkel coral reefs and explore Cape Range National Park.
Ningaloo Reef is one of the largest fringing coral reefs in the world, stretching about 260 kilometres along the coast. In many places the reef lies only a short swim from the beach, so snorkellers can reach coral without a boat.
From about March to July, whale sharks, the largest fish on Earth, feed off the reef. Licensed tour boats use spotter planes to find them, and swimmers slip into the water to swim alongside these gentle giants.
Cape Range and Turquoise Bay
Cape Range National Park combines rugged limestone ranges and gorges with white beaches. Turquoise Bay is famous for its drift snorkel, where a gentle current carries swimmers over coral and fish.
Humpback whales pass between July and October, and manta rays can be seen year-round. Turtles nest on nearby beaches in summer, and rangers run turtle-watching programs.
Exmouth was built in the 1960s to support a US Navy communications station, named after Prime Minister Harold Holt. The Vlamingh Head Lighthouse offers sunset views over the Indian Ocean.
Did You Know?
The Ningaloo Coast was listed as a World Heritage Area in 2011.