Shore Thing (Sail Ningaloo)

Safety Briefing, Crew Introduction, Necessary Dive Paperwork, Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing Coral Bay Jetty. During the journey to our first snorkel/dive site please take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel and make yourself comfortable. Enjoy a late afternoon snorkel or dive near “Five Fingers Reef” before enjoying a cool drink as the sunsets and the vessel sails to its overnight anchorage.

Following breakfast, enjoy a morning dive at a site such as “The Stag Forest”, a beautiful coral garden exhibiting stunning branching coral formations and home to numerous marine turtles. After morning tea set sail for another exhilarating snorkel location, where you will have the chance to see reef sharks and turtles cruising by or large rays resting as we explore sandy underwater pathways fringed by hard coral outcrops rising to the water’s surface. Enjoy a freshly prepared gourmet buffet lunch before immersing yourself into Ningaloo’s clear waters or relaxing on the deck of Shore Thing. The day winds down with another snorkel or dive before a sumptuous two course meal and well deserved rest.

After breakfast, your crew and guides will select the best snorkel or dive sites based on the conditions. Ningaloo Reef boasts a mind-boggling variety of fish, turtles, and colourful coral formations, making every dive or snorkel an unforgettable adventure. You may like to enjoy a leisurely kayak or SUP, keeping an eye out for large rays resting and turtles feeding in the shallow waters We seek out dugongs and dolphins as we travel to our evenings anchorage. Between June and October there is a fantastic opportunity to observe Humpback Whales as they migrate along the Ningaloo coast.

Sailing to more sites to experience the best marine life based on the conditions. Ningaloo Reef and Coral Bay is home to a resident population of coastal Manta Rays that frequent the inner reef to mate, give birth and feed. Enjoy a presentation from your local guide on Manta Ray biology and behaviour along the Ningaloo Reef and then snorkel with one of these graceful rays where you can assist identifying the Manta Rays via photo identification. Before a sumptuous buffet lunch, enjoy one last snorkel or dive at “Asho’s Gap” which is a cleaning station for grey reef sharks. Watch as the sharks swim in 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 Unfortunately our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon! Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseeable factors.

Safety Briefing, Crew Introduction, Necessary Dive Paperwork, Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the Harbour. During the journey to our first snorkel/dive site for a check dive, please take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel and make yourself comfortable. Enjoy a late afternoon snorkel, or dive, before enjoying a cool drink as the sunsets and the vessel sails to its overnight anchorage. Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors

Following breakfast, enjoy a morning snorkel at “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 behaviour 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 snorkelling and diving destinations on the way into Chabjuwardoo Bay for our overnight anchorage.

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. Some of our favourites include The Fishbowl, Holey Moley, Turtle Pond and The Lost City. 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 tranquillity 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 behaviours of the marine creatures you have observed.

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 favourites 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.

After breakfast enjoy a leisurely kayaking trip along the secluded coastline of Jane’s Bay, 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. Some of our favourite snorkel & scuba dive sites include The Minefield, The Ravine and Lannie’s Lumps, where you have the chance to see large groupers, rare loggerhead turtles, moray eels and fascinating coral formations. 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 5 night guests as you reminisce your favourite memories of the past few days.

Before a sumptuous buffet lunch, enjoy one or two snorkels or scuba dives, our favourites include 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. We return to Coral Bay approximately 12:00pm dropping off any guests who have only joined the 5 night tour. Take a stroll along the picturesque Bills Bay beach to the reef shark nursery or swim and snorkel right from the beach and see why the town got its name, or just spend the afternoon lazing around on the beach. Later in the afternoon, re-board Shore Thing with any new guests ready for the final 3 nights. Enjoy a late afternoon snorkel or dive near Five Fingers Reef before enjoying a cool drink as the sunsets and the vessel sails to its overnight anchorage.

Enjoy a couple of morning snorkel or dives at the best sites to suit the conditions of the day, such as Black Douglas or Coral Gullies, that features sandy underwater pathways fringed by hard coral outcrops rising to the waters surface. You have the chance to see reef sharks and turtles cruising by or large rays resting as we explore, Enjoy a freshly prepared buffet lunch and relax on the deck whilst we hoist the sails, utilising wind power to propel us to our evening anchorage, keeping a look out for playful dolphins or shy dugong along the way. Enjoy a late afternoon snorkel, one of our favourite times of day to capture the sunlight filtering through the water & lighting up the reefs inhabitants As the sun sets, indulge in a sumptuous dinner and share memories of the day’s underwater adventures.

Your crew and guides will select the best snorkel and dive sites based on the conditions. Ningaloo Reef boasts a mind-boggling variety of fish, turtles, and colourful coral formations, making every dive or snorkel an unforgettable adventure. Some of our favourites include Syd’s Harbour, Goliath’s Den & The Football Field. You may like to enjoy a leisurely kayak or SUP, keeping an eye out for large rays resting and turtles feeding in the shallow waters. From June – October there is a fantastic opportunity to observe Humpback Whales as they migrate along the Ningaloo coast.

Hopefully you’ve been able to experience what it’s like snorkelling next to the reefs most graceful characters, the coastal Manta Rays, already during the last week of your tour. However no one ever complains about having multiple opportunities! We’ll do a final search for these graceful rays as we sail back towards Coral Bay. Before a sumptuous buffet lunch, enjoy one last snorkel or scuba dive at the reef shark cleaning station or the Blue Maze, where the thick coral coverage is a haven for small reef fish. Unfortunately our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon! Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseeable factors

Upon arrival in Coral Bay, take a short transfer to board Shore Thing at the local marine facility for a 4 p.m. departure. The voyage begins through the protected waters and vibrant coral formations surrounding Coral Bay, with the chance for an afternoon snorkel or dive before watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean en route to the overnight anchorage. Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseeable factors.

After breakfast, snorkel or dive at Pandora’s Garden, known for its corals and turtles. Continue north to Batemans Bay to spot and snorkel with Manta Rays, then enjoy lunch while sailing past the blue lagoons of Stanley Pools. Look out for dugongs, dolphins, and seasonal humpback whales before anchoring overnight in Chabjuwardoo Bay.

Sail north toward Point Cloates, with your guides choosing the best snorkel and dive sites based on conditions. Exclusive sites such as The Fishbowl, Holey Moley, Turtle Pond, and The Lost City showcase pristine reef life. Pass the historic Stefano shipwreck and Jane’s Bay before going ashore to watch the sunset from the dunes. Return on board for a two-course dinner and a relaxed evening reviewing the day’s photos and marine encounters.

After breakfast, explore top snorkeling and diving sites around Point Cloates such as Cloates Corner, The Clam Graveyard, The Benan Shipwreck, and Central Station, home to reef fish, turtles, reef sharks, and colorful macro life. Continue into Norwegian Bay, passing the remains of a 1950s whaling station and spotting migrating humpback whales. Enjoy a final snorkel at the Fin Shipwreck, a 1923 whaling vessel now resting in shallow coral lagoons teeming with marine life.

Start the day with a relaxed kayak or SUP along the coast, watching for rays and turtles in the shallows. Enjoy a final snorkel or dive at Point Cloates sites such as The Minefield, The Ravine, or Lannie’s Lumps, known for groupers, turtles, eels, and vibrant corals. Continue past North Reef in search of Manta Rays before snorkeling the North Reef Nursery, home to sweetlips, snapper, and resting reef sharks. End the day unwinding on deck, sharing memories of your adventure as the sun sets on your final night aboard Shore Thing.

Enjoy one or two final snorkels or dives at sites such as The Ridge, The Stag Forest, or Asho’s Gap, where grey reef sharks visit a coral cleaning station. Return to Coral Bay around 11:30 a.m., with the option to take an afternoon flight from Learmonth or extend your stay in Coral Bay or Exmouth to explore more of this remarkable region.