Why You Need To Swim With Manta Rays at Coral Bay, WA

Have you ever wanted to aquatics with manta rays? Then Coral Bay connected the Coral Coast of Western Australia is the spot to go!

Swimming with manta rays successful Coral Bay was 1 of the highlights of our trip astir Australia. Located connected the shores of the satellite famous Ningaloo Reef, which is celebrated for being a thriving location to whale sharks, wobbegongs, and respective taxon of reef shark – to accidental our expectations were precocious was an understatement.

It’s said that manta rays aquatics successful the bay of Coral Bay all twelvemonth round. And due to the fact that they are filter feeders, they are harmless to aquatics with.

If you’ve thought astir swimming with manta rays but not definite what to expect, present is our acquisition swimming with these magnificent creatures.

Where is Coral Bay?

Coral Bay is located connected the Coral Coast of Western Australia, and is simply a 1.5 hr thrust (151 km) from Exmouth Western Australia and 11.5 hours thrust from Perth.

You tin get tours retired to Coral Bay from Exmouth Marina oregon from Coral Bay – though expect tours from Exmouth to instrumentality a afloat day, whereas you tin instrumentality a fractional time circuit from Coral Bay and marque clip for different activities.

Our Experience Swimming With Manta Rays astatine Coral Bay

Coral Bay, Western Australia

“Okay everyone, enactment your cogwheel on, she’s heading this way. Get successful the h2o arsenic rapidly and softly arsenic you tin and travel me, I’ll beryllium keeping adjacent it truthful you tin way it.”

Finned feet began shuffling successful each directions to the backmost of the boat. No 1 wanted to miss the accidental to aquatics with these graceful underwater butterflies.

I turned to assistance Kalyra enactment her snorkel connected and she started to person 1 of those meltdowns. The snorkel wasn’t connected to her liking and truthful the vexation began to vent arsenic wails. She would not perceive to my calm, sage advice.

One by one, the others connected the vessel slipped successful the lukewarm Australian waters and started swimming. Soon, we were near connected our own.

We came each this mode to Ningaloo Reef successful Western Australia and paid a batch of wealth to beryllium connected a vessel and endure a tantrum. The others were swimming down the manta and getting further from the boat.

We couldn’t drawback up now. We yet got the snorkel sorted and sat connected the borderline of the boat.

Holding hands we counted to 3 and slipped in.

We enactment our faces successful the h2o and determination was the manta ray’s look lone a fewer feet distant swimming towards us. We some squealed, “manta ray!” It turned and we swam to support up.

Pretty soon the others had caught up and overtook america and the manta slipped away. Trying to aquatics accelerated portion holding onto a 7 twelvemonth aged is nary casual feat.

“Did you spot that Mummy? We were truthful adjacent to it. That was amazing.”

Kalyra, she decided it was excessively acold and waved the vessel down to prime america up. She’d seen the manta ray up adjacent and that was enough. No much chasing was needed, which was fantastic quality for maine arsenic it meant I could spell backmost successful to aquatics with the manta ray connected my own.

Because of the kerfuffle getting Kalyra ready, I forgot to crook the Gopro on truthful wholly missed that infinitesimal erstwhile the manta came up to accidental hi.

We’d joined the circuit aboriginal that greeting from Coral Bay and hadn’t sailed precise acold retired towards the outer Ningaloo reef erstwhile the manta ray was spotted swimming the crystal wide turquoise h2o the Ningaloo Marine Park is known for.

It was conscionable Kalyra and I connected this circuit arsenic it was costly truthful we were reducing costs. Craig had opted to bash the quad biking circuit with Kalyra alternatively connected different day.

But, we were fortunate to beryllium doing it with our friends Nikki and Drew, and their girl Maddie, who is the aforesaid property arsenic Kalyra. It was truthful beauteous for Kalyra to beryllium having specified a amusive time retired with her friend.

Maddie and Kalyra

While they played, I slipped backmost into the h2o to aquatics with the manta again. I copped a large large mouthful of diesel fumes connected the mode in. Again the manta came adjacent and I started swimming, trying to navigate done each the arms and fins thrashing successful my face

I swam astir the extracurricular of the battalion and bolted towards the front. For the adjacent 5 minutes I swam down the manta ray marveling astatine its grace and delighting successful the tiny food that swam adjacent to it’s belly.

For immoderate reason, I thought that the manta rays would conscionable travel up to the vessel and linger astir america portion we swam with them. I ne'er realised it would impact Olympic benignant races to support up with it.

Pretty soon the diesel fumes combined with the carnal exertion started to drawback up with maine and I had to clasp down the increasing request to vomit. I pulled distant and swam backmost to the boat.

Man they are fast, but it was a batch of amusive to aquatics with them. Next clip I anticipation they conscionable linger!

It was clip to fto different circuit vessel successful to aquatics with the rays truthful we moved retired towards the outer reef for snorkeling.

Kalyra didn’t privation to travel backmost successful the h2o truthful again I went exploring the reefs connected my own. Schools of hundreds of tiny food came swimming towards and astir me. There were tons of waving bluish coral retired present and a fewer ample food poking successful and retired of the beauteous coral gardens to eat.

The existent was truly beardown and I didn’t enactment retired agelong arsenic I was disquieted astir drifting acold distant from the vessel and getting stuck connected apical of the reefs, incapable to beryllium rescued.

Lunch was served by the crew. We had acold nutrient and crockery sandwiches, and though yummy due to the fact that I was starving, I felt the luncheon dispersed wasn’t that large and could person been amended for what we’d paid for the tour.

There was a ample magnitude of clip spent driving astir and astatine this signifier I was trying to determine if the circuit was worthy it (it’s not the cheapest enactment successful Western Aus!)

It decidedly wasn’t for Kalyra. If I were to bash it again, I wouldn’t instrumentality her arsenic she lone had that 1 aquatics with the reef manta ray and didn’t privation to bash thing else. It depends connected the temperament of your child.

I wasn’t sold connected the worth until we stopped astatine our 2nd snorkel spot.

I was beauteous acold by present and this reef was mode retired the backmost adjacent the outer rim and the breaking waves. It made maine a small tense to spell retired and was contemplating sitting it out.

Then our usher said she’d instrumentality america each connected a guided snorkeling circuit and I’m truthful gladsome I went. A guided snorkeling circuit is the best. You consciousness truthful overmuch safer snorkeling successful a radical and she took america to each the champion spots pointing retired discoveries on the way.

The lone occupation was a fewer kicks to the caput arsenic you’re exploring.

We swam successful the channels betwixt immense reefs and bombies. It was immoderate of the champion snorkeling I’ve ever done.

We swam supra a mates of greenish turtles and past a loggerhead turtle swam truthful adjacent to us, which are a batch rarer to see. It was truthful awesome.

The coral was overmuch amended retired here, colourful and each shapes and sizes.

We weaved successful and retired of the reef strategy for immoderate clip delighting successful it. One antheral from the radical decided to spell disconnected snorkeling connected his ain and helium saw a mates of sharks. So gladsome I wasn’t snorkeling solo!

FAQs About Swimming with Manta Rays, Coral Bay

Here’s what radical usually inquire america astir swimming with manta rays successful Coral Bay…

Where to Stay successful Coral Bay

If you’re not definite wherever to basal yourself for your manta ray experience, past I urge staying astatine Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort, which is the lone edifice connected the formation astatine Ningaloo Reef Marine Park.

This family-friendly edifice is located connected Sunrise Beach successful the Cape Range National Park.

Each of the rooms comes with aerial conditioning, escaped Wi-Fi, refrigerators, and backstage bathrooms. Some rooms person a balcony oregon patio.

You tin take betwixt 1-2 chamber apartments oregon bungalows. It has a swimming pool, escaped parking, and is located adjacent galore adjacent attractions.

Final Thoughts connected Swimming with Manta Rays successful Coral Bay

Ningaloo is an astonishing coral reef to visit. You tin research it from truthful adjacent to enactment and it’s inactive truthful pristine, with beauteous debased fig of tourists. We were the lone radical retired determination snorkeling.

At the Great Barrier Reef you’re competing with many.

I had a beauteous precocious aft that snorkel and enjoyed the beauteous views of the achromatic sandy Coral Bay arsenic we sailed backmost in.

We didn’t spot immoderate reef sharks oregon dugongs, but it’s imaginable to spot immoderate dolphins and humpback whales playing successful the waters arsenic you sail backmost from visiting the mantas if you sojourn during the wintertime months.

Kalyra felt she got her money’s worthy astatine the extremity with each the lollies she kept sneaking in. She was ace excited to tally and archer her Dad that she swam with a manta ray up close.

So was I.

Pin To Pinterest