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.
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