Explore Exmouth

Exmouth, in Western Australia, is the gateway to Australia’s iconic Ningaloo Reef as well as the incredible swim-throughs and caverns of the Muiron Islands and flourishing reefs along the Coral Coast. Within Ningaloo Marine Park, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, divers can explore an aquatic wonderland of megafauna including dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, whale sharks and humpback whales. Those who prefer to search for the ‘small stuff’ will delight in finding frogfish, nudibranch, and stonefish close to Exmouth.

Scuba diving in Exmouth is accessible from the few dive centres and dive resorts in the area but if you intend to venture further into WA diving hop on visiting liveaboards to the area.

Dive Activity

Diving in Exmouth

At the Muiron Islands, there’s a large range of swim-throughs, channels, and caverns while at certain times it is possible to drift dive between the two Muiron Islands. Along with most of the sites found while scuba diving in Exmouth, the maximum depth is 20 metres and gentle currents. Ningaloo Reef sites range from 15-20 metres, with a number of sites ideal for dive courses. At Ningaloo, divers can explore caves, rocky ledges, and coral gardens or search for macro critters at the Navy Pier.

Top Wildlife Sightings in Exmouth

Scuba diving in Exmouth will find divers encountering dolphins, manta rays, sea turtles, humpback whales, dugongs, and wobbegong sharks at Ningaloo Reef while the North and South Muiron Islands also host countless species of marine life. Shrimps, nudibranch, friendly potato cod, sea turtles, nurse sharks all reside in soft coral gardens among the 1000’s of darting colourful reef fish. At shallow sand flats, nudibranch, flatworms, frogfishes, scorpions fishes and stone fishes can be discovered by macro-enthusiasts. For those who want to capture the extraordinary marine life in Exmouth on camera, speciality dive courses are available from some Exmouth dive centres.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 200

Moray Eel

224 Sightings
J
19
F
4
M
16
A
15
M
21
J
26
J
30
A
20
S
17
O
10
N
20
D
26

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 27

Barracuda

138 Sightings
J
11
F
4
M
11
A
8
M
12
J
20
J
12
A
9
S
13
O
10
N
12
D
16

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 300

Octopus

114 Sightings
J
6
F
1
M
7
A
8
M
17
J
11
J
18
A
11
S
14
O
5
N
6
D
10

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 600

Wrasse

69 Sightings
J
5
F
0
M
9
A
3
M
10
J
7
J
7
A
4
S
7
O
0
N
8
D
9

Green Turtle

51 Sightings
J
0
F
1
M
4
A
2
M
4
J
9
J
9
A
2
S
2
O
4
N
4
D
10

Loggerhead Turtle

32 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
2
A
0
M
13
J
7
J
8
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
2
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3

Sand Tiger Shark

24 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
2
J
2
J
2
A
4
S
4
O
6
N
2
D
2

Wobbegong

258 Sightings
J
12
F
5
M
18
A
11
M
28
J
27
J
37
A
29
S
22
O
22
N
21
D
26

Whitetip Reef Shark

250 Sightings
J
10
F
3
M
18
A
15
M
29
J
29
J
30
A
23
S
19
O
22
N
27
D
25

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 250

Grouper/Basslets

217 Sightings
J
13
F
4
M
12
A
17
M
30
J
24
J
27
A
16
S
19
O
10
N
23
D
22

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 12

Lionfish

217 Sightings
J
14
F
7
M
10
A
15
M
23
J
29
J
29
A
18
S
23
O
13
N
19
D
17

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 100

Parrotfish

153 Sightings
J
15
F
2
M
9
A
9
M
20
J
18
J
12
A
12
S
15
O
6
N
17
D
18

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Angelfish

138 Sightings
J
10
F
2
M
12
A
9
M
17
J
13
J
17
A
10
S
13
O
4
N
16
D
15

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 2

Nurse Shark

121 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
2
A
0
M
5
J
15
J
13
A
23
S
25
O
17
N
12
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

Butterfly Fish

111 Sightings
J
13
F
2
M
11
A
5
M
14
J
11
J
13
A
10
S
8
O
3
N
10
D
11

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3000

Nudibranch

103 Sightings
J
8
F
2
M
5
A
7
M
10
J
9
J
14
A
9
S
10
O
8
N
4
D
17

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

Pufferfish

98 Sightings
J
10
F
2
M
9
A
4
M
8
J
9
J
13
A
10
S
7
O
4
N
11
D
11

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 110

Snapper

94 Sightings
J
7
F
3
M
8
A
4
M
14
J
11
J
4
A
6
S
10
O
2
N
11
D
14

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 8

Bannerfish

93 Sightings
J
9
F
1
M
3
A
4
M
13
J
9
J
9
A
9
S
9
O
2
N
16
D
9

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 25

Boxfish

92 Sightings
J
8
F
1
M
2
A
5
M
13
J
8
J
14
A
4
S
11
O
3
N
11
D
12

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 150

Sweetlips and Grunts

85 Sightings
J
4
F
0
M
7
A
4
M
15
J
8
J
8
A
5
S
5
O
3
N
13
D
13

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

Triggerfish

65 Sightings
J
8
F
0
M
0
A
3
M
10
J
9
J
5
A
3
S
3
O
4
N
11
D
9

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 80

Emperor

61 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
3
A
4
M
10
J
6
J
5
A
7
S
6
O
3
N
3
D
12

Blacktip Reef Shark

57 Sightings
J
5
F
1
M
3
A
4
M
6
J
10
J
6
A
3
S
0
O
5
N
3
D
11

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 28

Clownfish

52 Sightings
J
6
F
0
M
5
A
2
M
8
J
4
J
6
A
2
S
6
O
0
N
7
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 85

Surgeonfish

44 Sightings
J
6
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
10
J
3
J
8
A
4
S
4
O
2
N
2
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Goatfish

44 Sightings
J
4
F
1
M
2
A
0
M
7
J
4
J
3
A
5
S
6
O
0
N
7
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3

Trumpetfish

44 Sightings
J
4
F
0
M
2
A
0
M
4
J
5
J
9
A
6
S
5
O
0
N
5
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

Jackfish

43 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
2
A
0
M
7
J
6
J
5
A
3
S
5
O
0
N
5
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 350

Damselfish

40 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
6
A
0
M
8
J
0
J
3
A
3
S
6
O
0
N
4
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 22

Cod

35 Sightings
J
0
F
1
M
0
A
5
M
6
J
6
J
2
A
3
S
3
O
3
N
3
D
3

Grey Reef Shark

32 Sightings
J
4
F
0
M
0
A
3
M
0
J
5
J
2
A
2
S
3
O
4
N
5
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 50

Frogfish

31 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
0
A
2
M
3
J
3
J
8
A
0
S
4
O
0
N
0
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 80

Stingrays

28 Sightings
J
4
F
1
M
2
A
2
M
2
J
5
J
2
A
0
S
6
O
0
N
2
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

Soldierfish

28 Sightings
J
6
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
4
J
3
J
0
A
4
S
3
O
0
N
6
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3400

Shrimp

26 Sightings
J
2
F
1
M
0
A
4
M
2
J
3
J
4
A
3
S
2
O
2
N
0
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 15

Garfish

24 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
3
J
4
J
7
A
0
S
5
O
0
N
0
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 250

Scorpionfish

19 Sightings
J
0
F
1
M
2
A
0
M
2
J
0
J
5
A
0
S
4
O
0
N
2
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3

Cornetfish

18 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
5
A
0
M
0
J
5
J
0
A
4
S
2
O
2
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 20

Porcupinefish

16 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
2
J
0
J
2
A
2
S
2
O
0
N
5
D
0

Silvertip Shark

14 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
2
A
0
M
2
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
2
O
2
N
2
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

Spiny Lobster

14 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
7
J
2
J
0
A
5
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The best months to dive in Exmouth

While much of Australia is too cold to dive in the winter, Exmouth experiences sunshine, blue skies and pleasant water temperatures meaning that Exmouth diving is available all-year-round. The season for whale sharks in Ningaloo is from March through to August while manta rays and humpback whales visit the area from June to November. Scuba diving the Muiron Islands is also available year-round, with the best visibility from September to November.

Dive Sites