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Enjoy a leisurely cruise in style on board our spacious multi-level boat Thunder. Sit back, relax and take in the sights and scenery as we travel the short journey to the whales’ playground.
The Humpback whales migrate through Coral Bay from June to October every year. Visit these incredible and inquisitive mammals in their natural environment playing, tail-slapping, breaching, waving and slapping massive pectoral fins, rolling and even sleeping! Because the local waters are a safe haven for migrating whales, we regularly see resting mothers and calves as they frolic in the calm waters of Bateman’s Bay. Not only can you see the iconic Humpback whales, but we also often encounter many other marine animals like turtles, dolphins, dugongs and other whale species such as Minke’s, Southern rights, even Orca’s throughout the trip.
The tour departs runs for three hours. Our friendly and knowledgeable crew will look after you throughout the tour, offering information about the Ningaloo Reef and its marine life. One complimentary champagne and finger food is provided and you can also byo.
For Child/Infant policy please check the Terms & Condition below.
Child passengers are defined as being an age of 5 years old to 15 years old. 16 year old passengers are defined as adults. Family prices refer to 2 adults and 2 children between 5 and 15 years old. Children 4 years and under at the time of tour are Free of Charge (FOC). All minors must be accompanied by parents or guardians AT ALL TIMES who are entirely responsible for their care. Children must not be left unattended by parents or guardians on any tour boat or whilst in the water at any time.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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From the moment we were picked up and fitted into our wetsuits, we knew the day was going to be something special — easy, exciting and so much fun from start to finish. The crew were absolutely incredible: professional, knowledgeable, energetic and genuinely fun to spend the day with. Nothing was ever too much trouble and the attention to detail made the whole experience feel so special.
And then came the magic FOUR whale shark swims 🤯 plus swimming alongside manta rays, turtles, reef sharks and endless stunning fish in the crystal-clear waters of Ningaloo. Every single moment felt surreal. The captain went out of his way to ensure we saw a tiger shark and Dugongs !! Pure magic
I felt safe and looked after the entire day, which made it easy to completely relax and soak up every second of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. And the cherry on top? Hot towels and champagne to celebrate afterwards 🥂 — the perfect ending to the most unforgettable day ever.
Having a photographer onboard to capture all the memories was just incredible too. Already dreaming of doing it all again! 💙
We were prepared and ready on the marlin board and we saw a fin, the crew said , get in get in and the whale shark just dived to the depths. we hung around for a little while and were then informed the dive was over and we would now have lunch, it was 15.50. Immediately after the lunch we headed back to the marina. We had been fed banana bread and biscuits up until this point.
I did not see the whale shark except for the fin, after we disembarked I was told, sorry you didnt see it but that unfortunately, we had signed to say we understand the sighting is not guaranteed.
I was so disappointed, it was a very expensive boat ride. 613 Aussie dollars is not cheap.
I have spoken to others since and was advised to book at Exmouth, the will arrange another tour if no sighting.
Wish we could’ve stayed longer, definitely would have booked it again. I highly recommend to go ahead and just book more than just 1 tour if you have any love or curiosities about the ocean. (Photos attached were taken by Ellie - the crew member / photographer)
Everything considered I think the price is still high, getting the maximum income out of the guests.
The two half an hour snorkels were the right amount of time to see lots without getting cold.
Swimming with Mantarays was an amazing experience at a bucket list level.
As an added bonus we saw 9 x 1.5 metre reef sharks in a shark cleaning station where the sharks came in popped up in a 45 degree angle and opened their mouths. Smaller fish swam inside and cleaned their teeth. This was amazing and unexpected.
The coral was some of the best in the world.
We also saw a couple of turtles close and with good visibility. We also saw an octopus and lots of fish.
They had spotter planes and this was essential.
We also had three manta ray experiences.
NEGATIVES
Whilst most staff were friendly and knowledgeable, there was an exception.
We waited from 7:45am and were not in the water until close to 9:20am (after a 5 min bus ride and a 20 min boat ride). We needed two bus trips to take everyone. This in itself was a 15+ min delay + other inefficiency. However, we were out for an extra 30 mins which offset this to some extent.
There seemed like endless rules. Yes. We need to have rules but there are different ways to convey them.
- They had rules that did not apply to their staff (photographer identified manta rays from their underside yet we never saw the underside and were not allowed to dive under the water. This was hypocritical.
- The rules were impossible to follow. Float on the surface like a star but listen. Human beings cannot hear when their head is submerged underwater. Do not kick near the coral. However, they had 28 people in the water at the same time sometimes in shallow waters. This was way too many people at the same time for any wildlife in the wild experience. When you were behind someone else you were seeing the bubbles from their kicks. People were trying hard not to kick each other with their fins but it was unavoidable. I was then chastised twice by the person who appeared to be the boss. Once for getting too close to the coral when it was impossible to avoid and listen to the guide. There was not enough space with 28 people in the water. I understand that this is a commercial venture but this is way too many. The second time was when I did not hear the people telling me to stop whilst my head was underwater following the manta ray. I was told to swim with one ear out of the water (which means I could not have seen the manta ray properly) and to take the hood of my stinger suit off (whilst I did this, I suffered from severe sunburn as a result). There was still someone else following. The staff member chastised me did not want to listen just chastise and this soured the experience.
Did not pickup from Exmouth but another tour did. I hired a car to book onto this one because it seemed to have the best reviews.
Without the negatives mentioned, the experience would have been 6 stars.
THANKS !!!!
This tour & the tour operators were absolutely exceptional!
I took my 7 & 9 year old children . The swims with the mantras made possible by such helpful supportive crew! Great lunch & entertainment by Jessie!
Best tour on our trip around Oz!
5stars.
Look forward to doing the tour again one day.
Shop and boat staff were approachable, friendly and knowledgeable.
The boat itself was clean and tidy and you could actually see through the glass bottom viewing window.
We recently went on the Marine Eco Safari in Coral Bay and I can’t express how lovely the crew were, so friendly and supportive as well as very informative and knowledgeable with the wildlife.
I’m still surprised by how much time we actually spent in the water and just how much of the reef we saw! Multiple close-up manta ray encounters (bucket list worthy experience) including a mating train of three swimming together, as well as seven turtles, a shark, and by far the healthiest looking coral I’ve seen in Ningaloo. We also saw several humpback whales from the boat deck.
The photographer did a really great job, but primarily took photos of just the wildlife (not many shots with people in) and was an additional charge - completely worth it though, I bought the package as the photos were stunning and reasonably priced!
The boat itself (Thunder) was really clean and comfortable, although it did bounce around on the waves quite a lot so remember to take sea sickness medication beforehand! Snorkelling equipment was high quality - no complaints!
Thank you! 🩵
They took a lot of care and attention towards the underwater life while allowing us to live this beautiful experience.
The dive was much beautiful with a lot of colors fishes.
Thanks a lot for that great experience
I would definitely recommend getting the photos from the professional photographer on board. Will was our photographer and he got some amazing photos. They found it hard to get him out of the water. The way the professionals edit and colour grade the photos makes it the best underwater photos we have.
Thanks so much.
Thankyou for an amazing memory with these beautiful sea creatures.
They are extremely ethical with the animals and the environment, making it very clear how important they are and setting strict rules regarding interaction with marine life.
They feed you all the time, and the food is high quality and absolutely delicious.
The staff are incredible, always helping you and explaining everything you need, as well as teaching you about the importance of animals such as sharks and sharing fascinating facts about the lives of whales.
We couldn’t have chosen better, and we would definitely repeat the experience because we were so happy!
If you are choosing between multiple options this is by far the best.
Had the most awesome day out. Swimming with the whales was better than you can imagine. The crew were awesome, boat was really nice. And a big shout out to Pedro (Ship Hand) for going out his way to make sure we got the best out of the day.
High recommend.
We were also really well fed, which was a great touch after such an exciting day in the water!
What I really appreciated is that a portion of the tour fee goes towards whale shark research. It felt amazing to know I was contributing to something important while having such a special, personal experience.
I’d jump at the chance to do this again and would highly recommend Coral Bay EcoTours to anyone heading up this way. If you’re looking for something to do — this is it!
The staff are amazing, enthusiastic, friendly and engaged. We were lucky to have a great group. The food was fresh and delicious and we never felt hungry.
We always felt safe, often a guide at the front and another at the rear keeping the gang together. They accommodated all levels of swimmers with some people using noodles. They were fantastic with the kids, didn't baby them and they had the same experience as everyone.
This is an expensive tour but includes transfers, gear hire, spotter plane, on board photographer with photos included, lunch/ snacks/ drinks and trustworthy staff.
Being able to buy high quality underwater photos and videos made the memories ofr the experience even better.


























