Swimming with whale sharks in Exmouth is one of the most unforgettable wildlife experiences in Western Australia and a huge bucket list experience for many.
From seeing amazing coral and vibrant fish around Ningaloo Reef to the once-in-a-lifetime thrill of swimming with whale sharks.
We’ll cover everything you need to know beforehand, share our favourite whale shark tours and glimpses from our own experience in this guide.
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Overview:
- Where is Exmouth and how to get there
- Why you should swim with whale sharks in Exmouth
- The best time to swim with whale sharks in Exmouth
- Best whale shark tours
- What to expect on the day
- What to pack
- Our experience
- Our best tips
Where is Exmouth and how to get there:
Exmouth is a remote coastal gem located about 1250 kms north of Perth in Western Australia. It’s the gateway to every ocean lover’s dream and UNESCO World Heritage-listed marine park, the Ningaloo Reef.
The best way to get to Exmouth is to either fly from Perth airport to Learmonth, which takes about 2 hours with a direct flight by Qantas.
Alternatively, it’s a 13 hour drive but a great option if you love road tripping and plan on doing multiple stops on the way to Exmouth. Check out our full Perth to Exmouth road trip itinerary.
Why you should swim with whale sharks in Exmouth:
Swimming with whale sharks is a real bucket list experience and Exmouth is one of the best places in the world to do it.
Unlike other places in the world, swimming with whale sharks in Exmouth is 100% ethical and the welfare of these gentle giants are every tour operators’ top priority which makes the experience so much more special. The tour sizes are capped at 14-20 people, the whale sharks do not get baited and there are strict guidelines on how to act around the whale shark once in the water.
Every year between March – August, these majestic creatures migrate to Ningaloo Reef for the coral spawn and abundance of plankton, which means Exmouth has a high success rate of swimming with them during that time.
When is the best time to swim with whale sharks in Exmouth:
The official whale shark season in Exmouth runs from March to August, with peak sightings between April and July.
Here’s a quick month-by-month breakdown:
- March–April: Start of the season, fewer crowds
- May–June: Best interaction success
- July–August: Whale sharks are still around and there’s a chance to see humpback whales as well
Best whale shark tours in Exmouth to choose from and why:
Ningaloo Whale Shark n Dive
This tour is a great option if you are wanting to go with younger kids as they have no age restrictions as long as they can swim. They once had a 3.5 year old join them!
They offer a lot of inclusions: pick up/drop off, professional photos free of charge, Qualified Marine Biologist on board, morning tea and lunch and all the gear you need.
They also have a good swim guarantee and no sighting guarantee, meaning if you are in the water for less than a certain amount of time or don’t see any whale sharks on the day, they offer a free repeat tour that is valid for up to 2 years.
Pros:
- No age restrictions
- All basics included
- Free photos and videos
- Pick up/drop off available
- Good Swim Guarantee / no sighting policy full repeat tour covered for up to 2 years.
Cons:
- Shared spotter plane
- No refund policy
Three Islands Whale Shark Dive
This tour also offers a lot of inclusions and have their own exclusive spotter plane flying around during the time of the tour. They also look out for other marine animals like orcas, dugongs, humpback whales and manta rays etc.
They don’t have a good swim guarantee but offer sighting guarantee and will offer a free repeat tour, $100 refund per person or a voucher valid for up to 2 years.
Pros:
- Exclusive spotter plane
- All basics included
- Free photos
- Pick up/drop off available
- No sighting guarantee includes free repeat tour, $100 refund per person or a voucher valid up to 2 years
Cons:
- No refunds offered if tour is cancelled within 5 days of departure date
- No ‘Good Swim Guarantee’
Exmouth Dive Whalesharks Ningaloo
This option is great if you want to go with a smaller group as they cap their guests on board each boat at 14. So if you’re after a more intimate experience, this tour would be a great choice.
They also offer a video and photo package for free as well as morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
They are a little pricier than the other tours due to the smaller group sizes, they have an age restriction as swimmers need to be 6+ years and their no sighting guarantee only covers half the cost of a repeat tour.
Pros:
- Smallest group size
- All basics included
- Free photos
- Pick up/drop off available
Cons:
- Shared spotter plane
- More expensive
- Good Swim Guarantee only covers half the cost of a repeat tour
Kings Ningaloo Reef Tours
Kings Ningaloo Reef Tours is an Eco Certified Green Travel Leader and has over 10 years accreditation in operating sustainably and in an environmentally conscious way.
They offer free photos of the day as well as free manta ray swims if they are spotted on the day.
They share a spotter plane with other tour operators and their no sighting guarantee is only available for tours within the same season. So if you aren’t able to stay around Exmouth for their next available tour, they offer a partial refund instead.
Pros:
- Eco Certified
- All basics included
- Free photos
- Free manta ray swims if spotted
Cons:
- Shared spotter plane
- No sighting guarantee repeat tour only available within same season
Coral Bay Eco Tours
This tour is a great option if you are staying around Coral Bay and don’t want to spend 1.5 hours driving to Exmouth.
They have similar inclusions to the other tours but don’t offer pick up and drop offs.
Pros:
- Coral Bay based
- All basics included
- Underwater photo package included for free
Cons:
- No pick up/drops off available
- Age restricted (6+ years)
- Shared spotter plane
- They do not offer a sighting guarantee
What to expect on the day:
Most of the tour operators offer free pick up and drop off at your chosen accommodation which is super convenient and a great way to get to know your guides and get information about the day before the tour really starts.
Otherwise, you can choose to meet them at the location of where the boat will leave from, which they’ll advise you of prior to the day of the tour.
Once you’re at the pier, they’ll take you out to the boat and welcome everyone on board with a small briefing and possibly a complimentary tea or coffee (most tours include this)
They’ll provide you with your snorkel gear and most of them will offer you a wet suit or stinger suit as well depending on your preference.
In our case, we stopped at a little lagoon and went for a quick snorkel to test out our snorkel gear before heading further out to find the whale sharks. We spotted lots of fish, coral bommies, turtles and a reef shark.
In the meantime, the tour operators have spotter planes flying around looking for whale sharks (and other marine animals) and will communicate their locations to the captain of the boat.
You’ll be assigned into 2 groups of up to 10 people as that is the maximum number of people they allow around the whale shark at once.
After they spot the whale shark, the boat will sail ahead of the whale shark and you will jump in the water with your group and your guide will prepare you for the most magical sighting.
The whale shark will swim towards everyone and will cruise past your line of people and you will get to swim with them for about 5-10 minutes at a time as they are quite hard to keep up with.
Once the whale shark has passed everyone, your guides will call you back to the boat where you’ll catch your breath and they’ll get you ready to jump in the water again after they have spotted the next whale shark.
Depending on how many whale sharks they are able to spot on the day, you’ll basically repeat the above-mentioned until it’s time to head back to land.
In our case, we got to swim with 6-8 different whale sharks before the end of the day.
After our last whale shark swim, we were provided a delicious lunch, complimentary drinks (non-alcoholic and alcoholic options available) and then we went out for one last snorkel around a reef before we headed back to land and said goodbye to the crew.
What to pack for your tour:
- Dry bag – the Sea to Summit ones are great.
- Underwater camera – we use this one and love it. We also have the floating handle so the camera can’t sink!
- Towels + an extra towel
- A jumper for the afternoon
- Snacks
- Reef safe Sunscreen
- Sea sickness tablets if you are prone to sea sickness
- Water
Our experience
We personally booked through Ningaloo Whale Shark n Dive and had an overall great experience with them. We would highly recommend them.
The crew on board were fun and knowledgeable and that can really make a huge difference. They genuinely cared for their guests but also for the marine life which was so inspiring to see.
We were happy with how the day was planned out and thought it was great to go for a little snorkel before heading out to see the whale sharks.
Swimming with whale sharks in Exmouth is definitely pricier compared to other places in the world but it’s honestly a once in a lifetime experience and we would happily spend a few hundred dollars extra to know that it’s all done ethically.
We have no regrets about going on this tour and would do it again in a heartbeat.
Our Tips:
There were a few things we wish we knew beforehand, so we’ll do our best to share everything here so you can have an even better experience swimming with whale sharks in Exmouth!
This one probably won’t be a huge surprise, but book your tour well in advance!
Since they only take up to 20 guests on every tour, spots are very limited and they do sell out weeks in advance.
Get comfortable with going with the flow and be prepared for a pretty fast paced day.
As the whale sharks are wild animals, they can of course be a little unpredictable.
It’s hard for the guides to know exactly how the whale sharks are going to move, they could cruise past you really nicely, they could dive down where you can’t see them or they could do something completely different. Be prepared to jump in the water quickly, follow your guide’s instructions and be prepared for those instructions to change in a split second.
Try to jump in the water LAST! This is probably the best tip we can pass on.
Since you’ll be jumping in the water ahead of the whale shark, being the last person in the water means you’ll be first in line once you have to start swimming alongside with the whale shark and you won’t have anyone in front of you kicking you with their fins and making bubbles in the water so you can’t see.
If you want to have your photo taken while swimming with the whale shark, it’s important to stay close to the photographer. You don’t know how long you’ll be swimming with the whale shark for, so try to tell him/her beforehand that you’d like your photo taken and stay close to him/her in the water.
Bring an extra towel. We only brought a towel each and they were literally soaked by the end of the day, so we didn’t have any dry towels to use once we had to get out of our wetsuits and we had to sit with wet towels and it was freezing.
Other tours to consider:
Final words
This concludes our ultimate guide to swimming with whale sharks in Exmouth and we hope you found it helpful!
Swimming with whale sharks in Exmouth is a once in a lifetime experience and something we hope everyone living in or travelling through Western Australia gets to experience at least once in their life.
We have definitely created a memory for life and something we will be talking about for the rest of our lives.
If you’re looking for more inspiration on what to do in Exmouth, read our guide of 15 Of The Best Things to Do in Exmouth.