Great Australian Bight Esperance Albany - Denmark Albany Best in the SW
Augusta - Cape Naturalist Busselton - Geographe Bay Fremantle - Cockburn
Sound Rottnest Island Houtman Abrolhos Jurien Bay - Geraldton Shark Bay
Port Hedland Dampier Broome - Cape Levique Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Christmas Island Diving
The small town of Exmouth, located 1200 km north of Perth, sits at the top end of the barren North West Cape.
The town comes to life each year in the months of March, April and May when scuba divers,snorkelers, underwater photographers and film crews descend on the town, hoping to catch a glimpse of the whale sharks, during their annual visit to the waters around the Ningaloo Reef marine reserve.
These harmless giants feed on the plankton and small fishes found around the reefs during the annual coral spawning. For three months spotter planes sweep the coast and report the locations of sharks to the boats below. Swimming with these huge animals is an incredible experience that divers remember for a long time.
As has been the habit of their species for thousands of years, numbers of Whale Sharks Rhincodon typus visit the reefs off Ningaloo to take advantage of the annual coral spawning. Over the period of April /May their presence has seen the implimentation of succesful snorkeling program, boosting the eco- tourism industry of the north west area.( Photo: Neville Coleman)
The small town of Exmouth, located 1200 km north of Perth, sits at the top end of the barren North West Cape. The town comes to life each year in the months of March, April and May when divers and film crews descend on the town, hoping to catch a glimpse of the whale sharks, during their annual visit to the waters around the Ningaloo Reef marine reserve. These harmless giants feed on the plankton and small fishes found around the reefs during the annual coral spawning. For three months spotter planes sweep the coast and report the locations of sharks to the boats below. Swimming with these huge animals is an incredible experience that divers remember for a long time.
These Whale Shark visitors follow an age old pattern of specific annual events which provide them with planktonic food ( be it coral spawning, the gathering of small bait fish, or mass fish spawning) that takes them all across the world. Efforts are now being made to track their movements by tagging them.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
For over 30 years Ningaloo Reef was the main fishing grounds for pioneer professional spearfishing groups and many areas were shot clean of big fish. Today the entire area is protected by law, and Giant Groper Epinephelus lanceolatus and Potato Cods Epinephelus tukula are commonplace.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Ningaloo Reef runs roughly parallel to the coast, from Coral Bay north to Exmouth a distance of over 260 km. The distance form the reef to the mainland varies from 200 m to 7 km. Many sections of the inner reef are accessible from the shore, while the outer edge is best dived from a boat.
The waters and diving around Exmouth Gulf and Ningaloo Reefs is weather dependent, just the same as it is around the entire Australian mainland. The shallow water lagoons with their sandy boottoms, patch reefs and bommies have an abundant range of species and even Dugongs can be seen at close quarters
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Several dive shops and charter boats service the area year round. An influx of dive boats arrives for the whale shark season, but the area is worth a visit any time. The best season to visit Ningaloo Reef is from autumn to spring, when the seas are calm and the winds light.
Coral Bay
Along the shallow outer reef tops the algae covered patches are patrolled by resident Lined Surgeonfish Acanthurus lineatus. These fish are very territorial and once the extent of their territory is observed, it allows one to get close for good images of this spectacular species.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Located 150 km south of Exmouth, Coral Bay is a great place to begin your exploration of Ningaloo Reef. Here the reef is dominated by hard corals. Along its edge live turtles, reef sharks, sweetlips, mackerel, gropers and schools of barracuda and trevally. On the reef fringing the shoreline, many patches of coral thrive in only 5 m of water. Big fish are uncommon, but butterflyfish, gobies, parrotfish, anemonefish, surgeonfish, angelfish and many other reef fish are often seen.
First discovered by the author, this undescribed species was found while snorkelling at Quobba Station intertidal reefs. It lived in a very noxious sponge (which caused the skin to peel of one's hands) and its eggs were also found inside the sponge.
Colemans Hallaxa Hallaxa sp. is unique and no others have been found since the initial finding in 1971.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Norwegian Bay
Stingrays, turtles, sweetlips, rock cod, angelfish, surgeonfish and many invertebrate species are usually found in the many coral gardens a little further north, along the shore at Norwegian Bay.
A well known resident of caves, overhangs and ledges across the entire Indo -Pacific, the Spiny Squirrelfish Sargocentron spinifer is a nocturnal predator that comes out at night to feed on planktonic crustaceans and small nocturnal fish.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Mandu Wall
Similar to many dive sites on the outer edge of Ningaloo Reef, Mandu Wall drops into 20 m, with only average coral growth along the wall. However, the fish life can be breathtaking. A drift dive reveals trevally, barracuda, gropers, coral trout, sweetlips, batfish, baitfish, fusiliers, unicornfish, reef sharks and countless reef fish.
Just one of the inhabitants of the Ningaloo Reefs is the Egg Cowry Ovula ovum. It can be seen mostly in the vicinity of Leather corals Sarcophyton sp. upon which it feeds. This species is able to extract noxious componds from its food and uses this as a controlled substance to ward off predators.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Blizzard Ridge
The bottom of Blizzard Ridge, only 15 m deep, is covered with substantial colonies of colourful soft corals, sponges and gorgonians. Reef residents include wobbegongs, stingrays, coral trout, baitfish, trevally, lionfish, gropers, sea snakes and plenty of invertebrate species.
Not always easy to find, the Harlequin Ghostpipefish Solenostomus paradoxus can be seen in the vicinity of , feather stars, soft corals, hydroids, sea fans, sea whips, in caves and around black coral. This one is a female with her modified ventral fins formed into an egg pouch that is full of eggs.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
North West Reef
Many gutters, ledges and caves are part of the reef wall at North West Reef. Take a flashlight along to see the brilliant colours of the soft corals, gorgonians and other creatures that inhabit the caves. At 16 m are reef sharks, gropers, tawny sharks, stingrays, turtles, coral trout, moray eels, schools of pelagic fish and occasionally a manta ray.
Very common in areas of good coral cover, the Moon Wrasse Thalossoma lunare forms small shools of mostly females which are herded by one or two males. These fish often follow divers around to take advantage of any small invertebrates that break cover.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Bundegi Reef
Another nudibranch first discovered by the author, this brilliant species was only described in 1998. The first one was found at Bundegi Reef, Exmouth Gulf in 1971. Robos Chromodoris Chromodoris roboi grows to 50 mm and has a range of really bizzare colour variations through out its distribution across the Indo - Pacific.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Located on the inner tip of North West Cape, Bundegi Reef is extremely rich in invertebrate life molluscs, nudibranchs, flatworms, sea stars, sea cucumbers, feather stars, tube worms, anemones, shrimp, crabs, octopi and many colourful corals, at a depth of only 14 m. There are also plenty of reef fish in the area.
Very commonly seen at cleaner stations during the day, the Many-spotted Sweetlips Plectorhinchus chaetodontoides are bottom feeders, taking huge mouthfulls of detritus and sifting the debris to extract the organic content. The residue is expelled out through the back of the gills
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Navy Pier
Like all dive sites in the Exmouth Gulf, the 300 m-long Navy Pier can only be dived on high or low tide, because of the tidal currents. The mass of pylons and beams underneath the pier are covered in corals, and among the pylons lives an astonishing assortment of marine life moray eels, batfish, bannerfish, nudibranchs, sea stars, flatworms, octopi, cuttlefish, gobies, shrimp, crabs, wobbegongs, rock lobsters, stonefish, crocodilefish, lionfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, boxfish, gropers, parrotfish, trevally, queenfish, perch, snapper and coral trout. Maximum depth under the pier is 17 m, and while the visibility is generally on 12 m, the abundance of marine life is great compensation. A permit is required to dive the pier, so contact the Exmouth Dive Centre at least a week in advance.
Safe in and around its host sea anemone, the Pink Anemonefish Amphiprion perideraion is very common on the reefs at Ningaloo reef.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Sponge Gardens
Another spectacular dive site in the Exmouth Gulf is the Sponge Gardens. Generally done as a drift dive, the bottom at 22 m is absolutely packed with sponges, gorgonians, soft corals and sea whips. Numerous species of reef fish, moray eels, sea stars, colourful nudibranchs, clams, stingrays, wobbegongs and cowries are usually seen in the vicinity.
The reason why Christmas Tree Worms Spirobranchus giganteus have double pronged trapdoors remains a mystery. These double - crowned plankton and detritus feeders live in calcareos tubes built within the protective confines of mound corals such as Porites spp. and appear in an amazing number of colours.
(photo: Neville Coleman)
Spotfin Squirrelfish Neoniphon sammara gererally live deep within the confines of Staghorn Corals Acropora spp. and only rise up to feed on planktonic crustaceans towards dusk and during the night. The distinctive red - edged black spot at the front of the dorsal fin makes them readily identifiable.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Great Australian Bight Esperance Albany - Denmark Albany Best in the SW
Augusta - Cape Naturalist Busselton - Geographe Bay Fremantle - Cockburn
Sound Rottnest Island Houtman Abrolhos Jurien Bay - Geraldton Shark Bay
Port Hedland Dampier Broome - Cape Levique Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Christmas Island Diving
Neville Coleman's diving expeditions, fauna surveys, photographic fauna surveys and marine life identification courses include every major group of marine life.
Neville Coleman's expertise in marine life identification extends to the identification of Algae, Sea Grass, Forams, Sponges, Stony Corals, Soft Corals, Sea Anemones, Sea Jellies, Zoanthids, Corallimorphs, Black Corals, Flatworms, Segmented Worms, Crustaceans, Barnacles, Shrimps, Rock Lobsters, Hermit Crabs, Squat Lobsters, Molluscs, Chitons, Univalves, Bivalves, Cephalopods, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Squid, Opisthobranchs, Nudibranchs, Sea Slugs, Bryozoans, Sea Mosses, Echinoderms, Sea Stars, Feather Stars, Brittle Stars, Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers, Ascidians/Sea Squirts, Marine Fish, Sharks, Marine Reptiles and Marine Mammals, all found in the waters around the reefs off Ningaloo and Exmouth Gulf.
( Copyright Neville Coleman/Nigel Marsh)
