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.
Five Fingers Reef is a popular 4WD destination
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!
Montipora plate coralBluespotted fantail rayBlue ChromisGiant Clam and Sea CucumberMarine life at Five Fingers Reef
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.
Warroora Coastal Reserves are part of the Ningaloo (Nyinggulu) Coastal Reserves, adjacent to and part of World Heritage listed Ningaloo Marine Park that stretch for 220 kilometres.
You can get there via Minilya-Exmouth Road (from the north or from the south). 2WD can get you to the Warroora station and 14 Mile beach camp, but to get to all other campgrounds you would need a 4WD as the road is not only corrugated but also can be soft, rocky and with slopes in some places.
Along Warroora Coastline
Warroora Coastal reserves are managed by DPAW and can be booked online. There are 11 campgrounds to choose from – some only have a few sites and others are bigger and more popular. There are no amenities at any of the campgrounds. You are required to bring a chemical toilet to this place (which can also be hired at the Warroora station). Dogs are allowed.
For $8 per adult ($3 per child) you get a permission to camp on a beautiful coast with access to some amazing corals only a short driving distance away. If you don’t want to be cramped like sardines in one of the caravan parks in the close-by Coral Bay, camping in nature might be the way to go. It certainly is for us!
Stopping on the way to enjoy the scenery and little things
Black Moon Cliff
We stayed at Black Moon Cliff, which is 6km south of Warroora station, a small campground, tucked behind the dunes. The campground has only 10 sites, all quite large – some closer to the beach and some behind the second dune.
Black Moon Cliff campground
The coastline at Black Moon Cliff looked quite beautiful with rugged outcrops, although the beach had a lot of weeds at the time we visited (April 2022).
Black Moon Cliff beach
Natural beauty at Warroora Coast
Undeniably the sunsets and sunrises were sensational! Every evening I was awe struck when seeing how the colours and patterns of the sky changed with every second as the sun went down.
Every evening the setting sun painted the sky differently. No sunset is the same.
Sunset at Black Moon Cliff
As the sun was going down on one side above the ocean, the moon was rising up on the opposite side. Just watching sun and moon can be so therapeutic!
Watching the sun emerge from the horizon in the morning was an equally delightful and exciting experience. New day! What will it bring?
Sunrise at Black Moon Cliff
If you are into bird watching, Warroora Coast is abundant in wildlife. Spotting it though, requires patience and sometimes it is a matter of luck.
Australian bustardZebra finchBirds of Ningaloo – big and small
There are also many wildflowers in the region even outside of wildflower season. We visited this place in April and were still a few wildflowers there.
Flannel bush Solanum lasiophyllumHalgania cyanea – Rough HalganiaHibiscusWildflowers at Ningaloo
There are also plenty of dragon flies in Warroora Coastal reserves which can be tricky to photograph unless they land somewhere. One ended up in our caravan :).
Lots of dragon flies
Lagoon
Lagoon campground is further 6km south from Black Moon Cliff along the Ningaloo Coast. This campground is one of the larger ones (with 20 sites). The road there from the Warroora station is quite rocky, with a couple of hills and rock holes, so you definitely need a 4WD. But once you get to the Lagoon you are rewarded with a fantastic swimming beach. We actually liked the Lagoon better than the Black Moon Cliff campground, where we were based, and we spent a relaxing day at the Lagoon, soaking up experiences and memories.
Lagoon beach along Warroora Coast
Maggies
Maggies campground was a pleasant surprise for us. We would have missed going there, if we didn’t hear about it from someone whom we met while travelling. So, we are passing on the information together with our own experience and memories of this place.
Maggies is a small campground (with only 6 sites), a short detour from the coastal dirt road in the Warroora Reserves. It is tucked away behind the hills and dunes and there are a few slopes and one-way sections of the road there. We wouldn’t have thought of pulling anything there but actually saw a few caravans at Maggies. 4WD is still a must to get there.
The best thing about this campground was corals and other marine life, as well as rocky formations along the beach.
Rocky shore at Maggies campgroundSome interesting finds near the beach
The underwater world at Maggies is amazing. Giant clams, Brain corals, Sea urchins, Blue Chromis are only some of the wonderful marine creatures you can see there.
Brain CoralSea urchinsGiant clamBlue ChromisA school of fish with Brain coralUnderwater beauty at Maggies
To sum up, Warroora Coastal Reserves did not disappoint. Without a doubt, it is the place to visit again.
Corals and marine life at Ningaloo – Convict surgeonfish at Oyster Stacks
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.
Snorkelling at Oyster Stacks
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.
Black damselfish among staghorn coralBlue tip staghorn coralsGreen Staghorn coralBlue chromis among green staghorn coral
Finger corals
Acropora humilis (Finger Coral) is a species of corals in the family Staghorn corals.
Acropora humilis coral and Blue Chromis Beige Finger coralAcropora humilis finger coralSea cucumber and Moorish idolfish
Porites corals
Porites are small polyp stony (SPS) corals.
Brain looking coral at Oyster StacksGreen brain looking coral at Oyster StacksPurple porites coral at South ManduPurple coral at Oyster Stacks
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.
Giant bombie in Turquoie BayCoral bombie at Oyster Stacks
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.
Purple cabbage coral at South ManduCabbage coral at Oyster Stacks
Plate Montipora coral
Leaf plate Montipora, also known as vase coral or plating Montipora, is a type of small polyp stony coral.
Black damselfish and Plate Montipora coralPlate Montipora coral and Saddle Butterflyfish
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.
Blue Sea Star Linckia laevigataLeiaster speices sea starLeiaster speices sea star
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.
Tomato anemonefish
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).
Giant clam at South Mandu
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.
Green Moon WrasseWrasse and giant coral bombie
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
Black DamselfishBlue AngelfishWestern buffalo bream and black spotted dart
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