The world heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef is Australia’s largest fringing reef. Stretching along 300 kilometres it is home to an array of sea life.
An estimated 300 to 500 whale sharks aggregate annually coinciding with mass coral spawning events and seasonal localised increases in productivity (UNESCO World Heritage List).
Known for the elusive Whale Shark, Ningaloo is host to a multitude of marine life. Dolphins, Dugongs and Manta Rays all frequent the reef.
Luckily unlike the Great Barrier Reef, the Ningaloo Reef has escaped the recent bleaching- a reaction to rising temperatures in the Ocean.
The reef is home to more than 500 hundred species of tropical fish that live amongst 200 species of coral. Highly diverse, the meeting point of the southern temperate and northern tropics of the Indian Ocean draws a stunning array of marine life. There are clear differences between the Southern and Northern lagoons, each side housing different coral and marine life.
Ningaloo is one of only two reefs globally that have grown on the western side of a continent. Not only known for its reef, Ningaloo Marine Park boasts crystal clear waters and a white shoreline -an important breeding ground for the green, loggerhead and hawksbill turtles.
Originally known for its game fishing, Ningaloo has flourished. Tourists from all over the world flock to the reef to swim with Humpback Whales and Manta Rays and to catch a glimpse of Ningaloo’s main attraction: the Whale Shark. The Whale shark gathers at the edge of the reef, known as the percussion zone. Here the water is more oxygenated forcing the plankton to rise to the surface. The concentration of microscopic life attracts the Whale Sharks to the area to feed.
Image: Diving with Whale Sharks
Up until the 1980s, there had been only 350 sightings of the elusive Whale Shark, and now because of Ningaloo Reef, tourists all over the world have a chance to spot the friendly giant.