Five Fingers Reef, 4,5km south of Coral Bay, offers the best snorkelling experience near Coral Bay. When we were in Ningaloo Reef in April this year (2022), we were told that while the corals in Coral Bay were affected by bleaching, Five Fingers Reef corals were in much better condition. It is a 10-minute drive from Coral Bay over the sand dunes and a 4WD is required to travel along the track which leads you right onto the beach.
Interestingly, the name Five Fingers comes from the way the reef looks like. There are five strips (or fingers) of parallel reef running from the beach to around 200 meters offshore. The waters there are very calm and shallow, with lots of corals and other amazing marine life underneath. A great place to visit for a day or a few hours.
The underwater life at Five Fingers Reef is amazing! From a variety of corals, fishes to blue spotted rays, giant clams, sea cucumbers!
Want to see more corals? We have a big library of underwater photos that we took at Cape Range National Park near Exmouth. Did we mention that at Five Fingers you’ll find the best snorkelling near Coral Bay? We are not the only ones thinking that way.