The largest fringing reef in the world is 260km of UNESCO-stamped spectacle. This bonanza of blue is teeming with all sorts of tropical life: turtles, manta rays, dolphins, humpback whales and – if you’re lucky – the elusive whale shark, too.
Sign up to this aquatic assembly is not limited to creatures of the deep, though – snorkellers and divers can book year-round tours in Exmouth. The humpback highway is always popular between July and October, when up to five swimmers can get up close to the whales, staying at least 30m away, unless the gentle giants choose to come closer and befriend you.
Out of season, dolphins and dugongs gather here, but travellers can also head to Turquoise Bay, where there’s plenty of bright corals to explore. If you’d rather stay dry, hop aboard a glass-bottom boat and glimpse whales leaping out of the water.
You can take to the skies on a microlight expedition, too, skimming the waters for a bird’s-eye view of all the goings-on. Whatever you decide, you’ll find a front-row seat to this glittering world down under.