5 Night Ningaloo Reef Ningaloo Escape from Coral Bay
Overview
Available languages
144 hours
Mobile ticket
During this 5 night Ningaloo Escape Tour spend 6 days aboard Shore Thing exploring the pristine Ningaloo Reef. This tour is like a marine safari with numerous sightings of mega-fauna including turtles, rays and reef sharks.
We sail in smooth calm waters winding through spectacular dense pristine coral formations and remote reef between Coral Bay and Norwegian Bay. We visit the historical ruins of Norwegian Bay whaling station and hear tragic tales of the many shipwrecks that lie on the Ningaloo Reef. We also get an opportunity to snorkel on one of these historic shipwrecks. You can view Turtles, Dolphins, Dugongs, Manta Rays, Whales (seasonal) and so much more.
Within the calm protected waters of the Ningaloo Reef, there are an abundance of snorkelling, scuba diving and kayaking opportunities available along with stunning secluded beaches to explore. No other Ningaloo Reef tour accesses these areas.
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Adult pricing applies to all travelers unless child is sharing with 2 Adults
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What‘s Included
Non-alcoholic beverages
Snorkelling & Kayaking equipment, tanks & weights for divers
Snacks
Coffee and/or Tea
Alcoholic Beverages
Dive Hire Equipment (BCD & Regs)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Ningaloo Coral Bay Backpackers
Robinson Street Coral Bay Australia
Rac Ningaloo Reef Resort
1 Robinson Street, Coral Bay Australia
Ningaloo Coral Bay Bayview
Robinson Street, Coral Bay Australia
What To Expect
The Tour
Accommodations
Shore Thing
Food and Drinks
DINNER
Dinner
Sail Ningaloo - Shore Thing
Day 1 - As the tour departs at 4pm, you can fly into Learmonth on the day of your tour departure and there is plenty of time to get to Coral Bay and have a look around before joining us on board. The journey begins as we set sail in protected waters, winding our way through spectacular dense coral formations that surround Coral Bay. Enjoy a late afternoon snorkel or scuba dive before enjoying a magical sunset over the Indian Ocean as the vessel sails to its overnight anchorage. All of Sail Ningaloo’s tours cater for both snorkellers and scuba divers, from the not so confident, to experienced skill levels. You can expect to be offered 2 to 3 snorkelling activities per day depending on the time of year and scuba diving is offered on average 1 of those times, depending on the conditions of the day and sites visited. Being a shallow fringing reef, you can see & experience the best Ningaloo has to offer in shallow protected coral lagoons in any weather.
The Tour
Accommodations
Shore Thing
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
LUNCH
Lunch
DINNER
Dinner
Ningaloo Reef
Day 2 - Following breakfast, enjoy a morning snorkel or scuba dive such as Pandora’s Garden, a beautiful coral garden exhibiting stunning plate coral formations and home to numerous marine turtles. After morning tea, we sail northwards via Batemans Bay, home to a resident population of coastal Manta Rays that frequent the inner reef to mate, give birth and feed. Enjoy a discussion on Manta Ray biology and behavior along the Ningaloo Reef with your guide, whilst we search for these graceful rays to snorkel with. Enjoy a freshly prepared buffet lunch before we navigate along the breath-taking Stanley Pools and explore the edge of the contrasting waters where the sand has been shaped by the waters movement to form distinct pools of deep blue water. We seek out dugongs, dolphins and humpback whales (seasonal, June – October) as we travel to our afternoon snorkeling and diving destinations on the way into Chabjuwardoo Bay for our overnight anchorage.
The Tour
Accommodations
Shore Thing
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
LUNCH
Lunch
DINNER
Dinner
Ningaloo Reef
Day 3 - Sailing north towards Point Cloates, your crew and expert guides will select the best snorkel & scuba diving sites based on the conditions. Sites we visit over the next couple of days are only visited by Shore Thing and have been personally named by the Sail Ningaloo crew. We sail past the resting site of The Stefano, and Jane’s Bay, where survivors of this shipwreck made it to shore, an incredible tale of survival with assistance from the Aboriginal inhabitants of the North-West cape. This afternoon step ashore at Point Cloates and relish in the tranquility of watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean, with a birds eye view from the top of the sand dunes. Return to Shore Thing for a sumptuous 2-course dinner and review your photos, or the images the crew has collected over the day, of the various species of reef fish and corals. Learn and discuss the unique behaviors of the marine creatures you have observed.
The Tour
Accommodations
Shore Thing
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
LUNCH
Lunch
DINNER
Dinner
Ningaloo Reef
Day 4 - After a hearty breakfast, your crew and guides will select the best snorkel & scuba diving sites around the Point Cloates area based on the conditions. Some of our favorites include Cloates Corner, The Clam Graveyard, The Benan Shipwreck and Central Station, seeing hundreds of species of colourful reef fish and a good chance to see reef sharks and turtles cruising by, as well as a huge variety of smaller critters, including spectacular nudibranchs & octopus. We sail into Norwegian Bay, passing the ruins of the historic whaling station, abandoned in the 1950’s. Learn about life in the whaling days on this remote stretch of coastline, where Humpback Whales migrate along the coast in their thousands. Have the opportunity to snorkel the Fin Shipwreck, an old whaling chaser that was wrecked during a cyclone in 1923 & now lies in shallow water inside the reef lagoon, a haven for reef fish & other marine life.
The Tour
Accommodations
Shore Thing
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
LUNCH
Lunch
DINNER
Dinner
Ningaloo Reef
Day 5 - Enjoy a leisurely morning kayak or SUP along the secluded coastline, keeping an eye out for large rays resting and turtles feeding in the shallow waters. Experience another thrilling snorkel or scuba dive in the Point Cloates area before we wind our way back towards Point Maud for our afternoon anchorage. Passing North Reef, we keep an eye out for Manta Rays before snorkelling North Reef Nursery, a nursery area for schools of sweetlips and snapper and a great opportunity to find reef sharks and rays resting in small coral caves. Snorkel along sandy underwater pathways fringed by hard coral outcrops rising to the waters surface. Relax on the deck as the day winds down, enjoying your last night on Shore Thing with your crew and fellow guests as you reminisce your favourite memories of the past few days..
The Tour
Accommodations
Shore Thing
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Ningaloo Reef
Day 6 - After breakfast enjoy a last snorkel or scuba dive at one of our favourites including The Ridge, The Stag Forest, or the fascinating Asho’s Gap, a cleaning station for grey reef sharks. Watch as the sharks swim up to a large cabbage coral and hold themselves in the currents with their mouths open, whilst small cleaner fish dart in and out of their mouths and gills. Return to Coral Bay at 11:30am with the option to catch the afternoon flight departing Learmonth airport, or relax in Coral Bay or Exmouth for extra nights so you can experience more of what this truly magical destination offers.
Options
Deluxe Double bed cabin
Shore Thing: Deluxe Double bed cabin with private facilities.
Duration: 6 days
Meals provided: All meals prepared fresh on board catering to all dietary requirements. Tea, Coffee & soft drinks provided. Bar extra $.
Pickup included
Stateroom cabin with ensuite
Shore Thing: Stateroom cabins feature a private ensuite and king or twin bed configuration.
Duration: 6 days
Meals provided: All meals prepared fresh on board catering to all dietary requirements. Tea, Coffee & soft drinks provided. Bar extra $.
Pickup included
Reviews
108 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
The best way we could have seen such a huge variety of sea life on the Ningaloo reef
951annettee,
Oct 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an exceptional experience. Shore Thing, skippered by Dom, was a great boat - the ensuite double bedroom was as comfortable as I can imagine on a yacht. We had 6 days of snorkelling - 1-3 trips a day to suit - led by Hendrik our underwater guide who had a superb ability to lead us to various habitats with great knowledge and love of the creatures there - I think he is an Octopus whisperer! Josh, the chef's cooking was as good as any top class restaurant.
Experience of a Life Time
395mindyc,
Aug 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Most excellent & motivating to pull out all stops to protect Ningaloo Reef, Cape Range & the entirety of Exmouth Gulf. We need to plan to return.
Journey of a lifetime!
E9918ASalyssas,
Aug 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our time on Shore Thing was truly the journey of a lifetime. From booking to disembarking, everything about our experience was perfection. Ningaloo is a magical place and the crew ensured we got to experience the magic! Traveling from place to place doubled as whale watching, we had beautiful views for our meals, and every single water activity demonstrated the beauty Ningaloo has to offer. We saw the most gorgeous fish, coral, turtles, rays, mantas, sharks, a dugong that decided to check us out and so much more. The time went by way too fast and we cannot wait to come back some day. The crew was also one of the highlights of our experience. Dom, Libby, and Josh are clearly so passionate about their job and the reef. They were a special group of people and we are filled with gratitude for all the work they did to make sure we had the best possible experience! We loved getting to know them and spending time with them each day!
Always a delightful experience and each trip exceeds my expectations even though i know what to expect
Michellechuckles,
Jul 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was the 6th time i have been on this boat and i cant say enough about the consistency of experience that the crews both on shore and off shore deliver. Cristie arranges all pickups, pre and post accom if needed and then the experience of the trip itself. once i hop off that plane from Perth i am totally in their hands and confident there will be no problems. Jess did the transfers to the boat and was delightful, Dom was the skipper and this was the first time i had sailed with him, he is a terrific skipper and can read the tides, currents, weather and even the animals like a real pro. Lou did an amazing job providing us with lovely food for every meal (and in between) as well as helping to corral and lead us in the water. And then there is the amazing man that is Hendrick. The manta whisperer. I have done many trips with Hendrick and am never disappointed. When others were asking what will we see here in our briefings, he would respond "possibly ....... but i cant promise due to them being wild animals/fish", my response was, well i can, you will see that and if not it will be something else amazing. I was never proved wrong. He is also an amazing photographer as well and the attached photos are his. Such a wonderful experience where everyone goes above and beyond. Thanks Luke and Lannie and keep up the great work
A trip to remember forever with the best crew ever!
vickylawton1,
Jul 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The whole trip was awesome but it was made especially memorable and super special because of the crew. Dom was a really brilliant skipper, he was always calm even when some of the weather conditions were challenging. We were in a very safe pair of hands, he is also a demon on the grill and produced some absolutely superb fish and perfectly cooked steaks. I can't praise Lou highly enough, she was such a positive lady who cooks like a dream, swims like a fish and so knowledgeable, as well as incredibly kind and patient (particularly with me not being confident snorkelling). Hendrick ! Part man, part fish and with a wealth of knowledge about the reef and the marine life. Hes not a bad photographer either!!! Thank youy Sail Ningaloo for giving us the dream team who were fun, friendly and super efficient at their jobs. Sail Ningaloo also organised our transfers and the driver, Jess was such a lovely lady with a bright smile and so friendly. Thank you for making the whole experience such a happy positive trip.
Wonder, awe and joy on Ningaloo
619kathrynf,
Jun 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an amazing experience from the support received to organise our trip with Cristie in the office to the incredible crew that looked after us on Shore Thing. Not only were they incredibly efficient, capable and fun but their knowledge of the reef and the marine life as well as obvious passion for this part of the world was infectious. We had the most amazing snorkelling experiences and saw incredible things, particularly the shark cleaning station at Asho’s and incredible barrel rolling Mantarays. The night skies are incredible to view and sitting at the front of the catamaran sipping a wine as the sunsets was blissful. The staff cared for us with magnificent food and laughs. They adapted to changing conditions and their willingness to make the most of our time onboard was very evident. We felt we got incredible value with this trip and can’t thank Dom, Lou and Hendrik enough for their capable, calm and knowledgable approach as well as for tolerating our singing and poor ability to get on and off the tender!! We really were so sad to get back on land and loved every minute on Shore Thing.
Stunning trip - awesome crew!
terio217,
Jun 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was our second 5 night trip on Shore Thing - this time with friends and family. It is an amazing voyage and we saw so many wonders of the sea, ate beautiful food, and had again the most wonderful crew looking after us - Dom, Lou and Hendrick. They were fabulous - knowledgeable, catering to our abilities, and very safe hands. If you get a chance to do this trip, just do it! You won’t regret it.
Simply Excellent
HapHalliday,
Jun 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We went with a group of 4 couples. 2 of us had our dive ticket, the rest were snorkellers and I had never snokelled before. The accommodation is as you'd expect- it's a boat- a nice one but if you're paying the $ to do this then you probably have had 5 star somewhere so get your expectations in order. It is cramped with a formica bathroom but we usually camp on holiday so we thought it was awesome. The only thing better than the breathtaking exclusive setting, the exotic marine life we snorkelled with and the amazing food/wine was the crew. They were incredible- friendly, knowledgeable, capable and just great young people. I learned so much from Josh- whose marine knowledge is so vast and yet he explains it in such a simple way- (how lucky were we to have him on board). I have never snorkelled before and it could have been scary but I felt so safe around Libby and she encouraged me to challenge myself- plus she is a super super host and a ray of sunshine. Dom is both experienced, capable and an excellent Captain and a great guy. As a crew they are professional and a good team. We came to see the whale sharks on a separate tour/part of the reef but this exclusive, private look at a magic underwater world should be on your bucket list. It shone above and beyond. We had the incredible life experience of swimming with 4m Manta Rays, Leopard Sharks, turtles, reef sharks, seeing Dugongs and dolphins off the boat- I'll never forget it. It was the best holiday of our lives with our wonderful friends. Thanks Sail Ningaloo. (PS the only reason I wouldn't want to write this review is to keep it a secret :).
Nailed It.
andrewdP1677KD,
Jun 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Sail Ningaloo delivered on every promise. Great crew, experience, and food. We are still buzzing from our time aboard.
If you love the ocean, you will love this trip!
Compass60784595254,
May 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a fabulous holiday! Ningaloo is a very special part of our country and 5 nights on a catamaran was the perfect way to explore it.Our crew went above and beyond to ensure that we all had a wonderful experience. The weather was a bit windy but our captain Dom changed plans as necessary to keep all guests happy and comfortable. Louisa kept bringing out more and more amazingly delicious meals from the galley and Josh who looked after the divers was a marine biologist and was always available to answer our many questions and educate us on the reef and its inhabitants. The enthusiasm of all of the crew was boundless, honest and infectious. Nothing was too much trouble. The snorkelling was amazing and we took advantage of it as often as we could, including a night snorkel that’s most of us had never done before. Honestly, this was the best holiday we have had and we travel a lot. If you love the ocean, you will love this trip!
From A$5,000.00
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