Coral Coast Archives - Page 2 of 2

Corals and marine life at Ningaloo

Are you planning a trip that includes viewing corals and marine life at Ningaloo? Let us take you on a virtual journey, so you know what to expect. Snorkerlling at Cape Range, looking at the beautiful corals and watching colourful fishes swim by, is like immersing yourself into another world – a mesmerising world of wonder, beauty, tranquillity and amazement.

Equipped with a new underwater camera and a drone we headed to to Cape Range in April 2022, choosing to stay at North Kurrajong campground for 4 nights while exploring the best snorkelling sites in Cape Range National Park. We had perfect weather during the full 3 days, which we spent at Oyster Stacks, Turquoise Bay and South Mandu.

The Ningaloo Reef contains over 250 species of coral and over 500 species of fish. While we did take more than 1 thousand underwater pictures trying to capture everything we saw, obviously we did not see all of the species but we did see a fair bit of them.

Kids got quite comfortable diving in to see corals closer

Disclaimer: We are no expert on corals. When researching the names of the corals we found some of the names a bit confusing and repeating. The information presented here is based on our limited understanding and knowledge at the time of writing.

Corals

Staghorn (branching) corals

They come in different colours and sizes and are quite abundant in Ningaloo Reef. They are one of the faster growing corals with growth from 10-20 cm per year.

Finger corals

Acropora humilis (Finger Coral) is a species of corals in the family Staghorn corals.

Porites corals

Porites are small polyp stony (SPS) corals.

Boulder coral bombies

Boulder coral bombies are quite big (as the name suggests) – they can grow up to 2 meters in diameter. They are also very slow growing colonies that are hundreds of years old.

Cabbage (leaf) corals

Cabbage corals are hardy soft corals. They are mostly browning in colour but can be colourful if they grow in shallow water where they get enough sunlight.

Plate Montipora coral

Leaf plate Montipora, also known as vase coral or plating Montipora, is a type of small polyp stony coral.

Sea stars

Most sea stars have 5 arms, although some can grow as many as 50 arms. Together with sea urchins and sea cucumbers they are not classified as fish, but rather belong to a group of marine creatures called Echinoderms (meaning having “spiny skin”). Did you know that sea stars have amazing capacity for regeneration and are able to regrow from fragments of their body? Sea stars can live up 35 years and only in salt water. There are about 2000 species of Sea Stars, of which we have only seen 2.

Fishes and clams

Clown fish and anemone

Colourful clownfish can often be seen hiding amongst the tentacles of anemones where they are protected from predators. A coating of mucus protect clownfish from the stinging cells of the anemone. The clownfish in return provides the anemone nutrients in the form of waste. Such is a symbiotic relationship between two living organisms. They are often seen together in underwater world. Picture taken at South Mandu, Cape Range NP.

Giant clam

Giant clams can grow up to 1.2meters. Microscopic algae live in the fleshy mantle inside the clam’s shell contributing to its decorative patterns. The clam closes up when protection required (as it is the case here).

Green Moon Wrasse

Green Moon Wrasse fish changes its colour with growth. That’s reason that despite the “green” in its name, it’s mostly purple in colour here.

Blue spotted ray

Bluespotted Fantail Ray is a shy creature living on the ocean floor, often found in shallow waters and lagoons. Its length is about 70cm, including the tail. It is quite a common marine creature in Ningaloo Reef.

Bluespotted Fantail Ray in Turquoise Bay

Some more colourful tropical fishes

Western buffalo bream and black spotted dart

Blowholes at Point Quobba

An impressive natural phenomenon.

We always used Carnavon as a convenient stopover (and cheap too – the prices of food are the same as you would get in Perth). One of the things I always wanted to see were the blowholes at Point Quobba.

Blow holes are created by the force of the water gushing through the holes in the rocks. Known also in geology as marine geyser, blowhole is formed as sea caves grow inwards and upwards emerging at the surface. When there is enough pressure (normally during high tides and in windy conditions) the water rushes through the caves and then erupts like a volcano, sometimes up to 20 meters high. It is an awe-inspiring sight to behold.

Blowholes at Point Quobba near Carnavon - an impressive explosion of water — An impressive marine geyser!

It is best to view blowholes at high tides, although take care when approaching blowholes, because it is Mother Nature in its raw and fierce form – the stunning swells can also be dangerous.

Here is the view we’ve got in September 2020. It was in the afternoon (presumably, during high tide).

Blowholes at Point Quobba near Carnavon at high tide — Blowholes at high tide

And this is what we saw this in April 2021, in the morning, when it was quiet (probably, low tide).

Blowholes at Point Quobba near Carnavon at low tide — Blowholes at low tide

You can find these blowholes at Point Quobba, 75 km north of Carnavon along Australia’s Coral Coast.

Best snorkelling and camping at Cape Range National Park

We have been looking for best snorkelling and camping at Cape Range National Park for quite a while. Having stayed at various caravan parks in and around Exmouth, this time we decided to stay in Cape Range National Park itself. Not only we were closer to the best beaches where we could see corals and other marine life. In addition, we were also staying just meters from the beach with only a few fellow campers. It is quite a different experience compared to overfull (as it is the case during Easter holiday break) caravan parks. It is all about being closer to nature. Every night we enjoyed sitting outside of our caravan, gazing into the Milky Way up in the sky. We spent time reflecting on how incredibly vast and enormous the universe is, of which we know so little. It is the desire to know, to experience “real life” that drives us to stay in those pristine, unique and often wild places, so rich in natural beauty, geological history and biologically diverse.

Termite nest in Cape Range National Park (approximately 2 meters tall)

Camping at Cape Range National Park

So, we booked a site at Tulki Beach, which is the closest to famous Turquoise Beach. At $11 per night per person (the price has changed since then, and it is $15 you can get a wonderful spot only 200 meters away from the beach, shared with 10 other campers. There are no facilities except for a very decent (no smell) drop toilet.

The sunsets and the sunrises you can view at the beach are amazing.

So, is the abundance of wildlife, including insects and birds, which were fascinating to obsesrve.

Being the season of turtle hatching (April) I went out a couple of nights to look for little turtles making their way to the ocean. I wasn’t lucky enough to see them (they say, turtles are directed by the moon light to the water) but I saw something which looked like the trails left by little turtles moving. Or, I could be wrong.

While there are plenty of activities, including great walk and hiking trails to enjoy in Cape Range National Park, we spent 3 full days at the beaches. We took full advantage of the hot and sunny weather, leaving the walks and hikes for the cooler and overcast days (that was the plan). After all, to see corals and marine life was our main agenda in Cape Range.

Snorkelling sites

Oyster Stacks

Our favourite beach for snorkelling is Oyster Stacks. In my opinion, it is the best snorkelling place. Only a few meters away from the car park, you can find yourself a spot for a picnic and then step into the water. There is only a slight drift and no strong current or waves. The bay is protected by the outer reef which is the closest to the shore in this part. So it is quite safe for inexperienced swimmers and snorkellers. Probably, the only downside of this beach is rocky shoreline (wear beach shoes unless you are using fins – or use both), But once you step into the water you are in a paradise. Oyster Stacks should only be snorkelled at medium or high tide when there is sufficient water over the coral reefs to avoid damaging these delicate organisms.

The abundance of the corals and marine life you see is awe-inspiring. I spent hours trying to take a good shot of these crabs.

My regret was not having a professional underwater camera to make a record of all the beauty we have seen (yet another reason to visit this place again!). However, I managed to take a few nice shots of the fishes, star fish, stingray and even a baby reef shark!

Turquoise Beach

Turquoise Beach has been voted Western Australia’s top beach by Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice. It is very popular (so get there early to get a spot) due to its white sandy shores, crystal clear turquoise water and easy access to corals (only meters away from the shore). There are two places to snorkel in Turquoise Bay – Drift Snorkel area (our choice) and Bay Snorkel area. Entering the waters at the southern end of the beach, let the current take you over the reef while you relax and enjoy viewing beautiful corals and marine life. There are moderate/strong currents at Turquoise Bay area due to a break in the reef further out, so it is important to exist the water before you reach the sandbar.

Sandy Bay

Sandy Bay beach is great for a picnic and after snorkelling experience. While it does have some corals, it is best known for white sandbar and knee-deep water around it which is excellent for kids playing and swimming. This is what our kids enjoyed after they’ve had enough of snorkelling.

Well, our plan to do some hiking to explore the rest of the national park did not materialise due to the Tropical Cyclone Seroja which caused closure of Cape Range Park where we stayed and forced us to change our plans and leave sooner (April 2021).

Packing up before the cyclone arrived. We were one of the last campers to leave.

Instead of going back home, we decided to travel further up north-east to continue our adventures in an uplanned itenary. We ended up going to Karijini and Millstream Chichester National Park.

And, yes, we went back to Cape Range again, exactly one year later. We discovered yet another wonderful snorkelling spot, which is a hidden gem.

Shell beach at Goulet Bluff and Stromatolites

Beautiful, diverse and unique Shark Bay

Deciding to camp free meant that we had no bookings (for some places) and could change our plans as we went along. This was our fifth or sixth trip to Exmouth (having been there so many times I lost count 😊) and we always stopped at Denham on the way there. This time I decided that it was enough to see the same place, however, the nostalgia about the Shark Bay area was there. After all, it is such a unique place that has always been drawing my attention. It is not a surprise. Listed as a world heritage place since 1991, Shark Bay satisfies all four of the criteria for the natural heritage values:

Natural beauty, which includes diversity of landscapes (peninsulas, islands and bays), rare, unique and abundant flora and fauna.
Earth’s evolutionary history represented by famous Hamelin Pool Stromatolites.
Ecological processes seen in the largest seagrass meadow in the world with the highest species diversity assembled in one place.
Shark Bay is home to many endangered plants and animals that still survive.

The Shark Bay World Heritage Area covers 2.2 million hectares and has a coastline stretching for 1500 kilometres. About 65 percent is marine waters. It is located 800km north of Perth on Australia’s most westerly point.

Getting there

Camping in wilderness, in the unique place looked very attractive to us. So, we called the Shark Bay Tourist Centre in Denham and bought a permission (it costs $15 per night per vehicle) to camp in the national park. By the way, you can only camp there for one night but it was all we needed, as we had to be in Exmouth by a certain date.

Turn off to Goulet Bluff from Shark Bay Road

Turning off from Shark Bay Road onto the dirt road, we drove for 2 km or so. When we nearly arrived the destination according to google map app, we approached a fork, wondering where to go from there. Expecting to see campers or at least some visible traces of the campground and not willing to tow a caravan to a place where we could not turn around, I left the car and walked for a while up the hill. Still no sign of people or campground – just a beautiful and peaceful view of the bay.

A car with two young girls stopped nearby. Hoping they might give us a clue, we asked them for directions to the campground. It turned out they were just looking around and knew not more than we did, however, they were helpful by driving ahead and then coming back telling us that the place ahead looked like a camping spot!

Shell beach at Goulet Bluff

So, we found our perfect camping spot right on the beach. Shell beach. It is not the famous Shell Beach you can read about in the travelling brochure. Goulet Bluff is 10 km away from Shell Beach and it is on the opposite side of the Shark Baby Road when you drive to Denham. Being in proximity to Shell Beach, Goulet Bluff is basically a continuation of it (it is said that Shell Beach stretches for 120 kilometres), so it shares the same unique look and feel of it. Shell Beach (and so is Goulet Bluff as part of it) is one of only a handful of places on earth where shells replace beach sand in such a picturesque way. Interestingly, the shells are from just one type of animal, the Shark Bay cockle, making the beach truly unique.

Camping experience at Goulet Bluff

We set up our caravan and awning. Kids helped with the pegs (the younger one, Ilusha, was mostly playing with them 😊) and then we all had a relaxing afternoon.

Swimming in very warm bay water, playing with the shells, taking pictures, reading or writing – each one of us was occupied diffferently.

As the day was nearing to its end, we noticed the tidal waters getting closer to our caravan. Luckily, we set up quite a distance from the shore line and were separated by a small reef from the ocean which formed a little lagoon. By the time, the tide was at its highest, what was a little lagoon merged with the rest of the oceanic waters and shore line separating the lagoon and the ocean was no longer visible.

Our (the only) neighbour a few hundred meters away was not so lucky. He had to interrupt his fishing in order to move the caravan closer to us, as the water got to the wheels of the caravan.

The following day was Easter Sunday, which the kids very much looked forward to. In fact, easter chocolate eggs and bunnies was what they were looking forward to.😊.

Kids were happy to receive their Easter chocolates

A couple of last pictures and it is time to move on.

Stromatolites at Hamelin Pool

On the way out we visited Hamelin Pool Stromatolites. Shark Bay is one of only two places in the world where living marine stromatolites exist (the other place being the Bahamas). The living fossils that build Stromatolites in the highly saline and very warm waters of Hamelin Pool show us what marine ecosystems would have looked like 3 billion years ago. This is one of the reasons for Shark Bay’s World Heritage status.

Not only this place is beautiful and unique, it is also full of history. There are a number of interpretive signs along the boardwalk where you can read and learn how stromatolites were formed. It is definitely a place worth a visit (it is better to visit early in the morning as it gets very hot there especially in warmer months).

Category: Coral Coast