ningaloo experience

We had a great experience with our skipper Pedro and guide Zack snorkeling, swimming with manta rays and spotting sharks. Not the largest operator but the most experienced with a real love and respect for nature. Pedro goes out with groups of max. 12 people so this guarantees a very personal experience.

Signed up for the 5 hr snorkle tour (930-1400) and were suprised to be on the boat with only 2 others (=nice relaxed day). From the boat saw dolphins, turtles and even a whale shark. While on the guided snorkle we were able to get close to a manta ray and 4 reef sharks. We also spotted a turtle while snorkling at our own pace.Highly recommend.

There are a number of larger tour companies in Coral Bay but I'm really glad I stumbled across this small operation - they are true locals who really know and respect the reef and give you a wonderful taste of it. We did the outer reef snorkel trip and it was a great way of getting off the shore, out to where the mantarays, dugongs and sea turtles roam. These guys keep the group small, to provide a memorable experience for all ages and levels of experience. Highly recommended for people who want a no frills tour where the focus is on helping you experience what the reef has to offer.

I have used this site many times but never written a review before however after my day out on the boat with Ningaloo Experience and the fantastic time I had I felt inclined. The main reason for choosing this company was due to their small group numbers (max 12), The tour consisted of 3 snorkels on the outer reef seeing manta rays, reef sharks and hundreds of species of fish, the crew were a wealth of knowledge and very friendly people. I highly recommend this to anyone going to coral bay it was the highlight of my holiday.

Absolutely the best experience imaginable, swimming and observing Manta rays close up in their environment. Stunningly beautiful and graceful, an image and experience you will not forget...ever. Plus two other great snorkelling periods on the reef, dolphins and turtles seen from the boat. All in a day and part of an intimate small group( 12 max). This is the trip and the company to go with. No frills just concentrating on reef experiences and time in the water. Do it.

Have done the inner and outer reef experience with Pedro and Fran more than once now. This is a safe, well presented tour with Pedro putting together a tailored experience for your group. May include catching a few fish for lunch or take back to park for later. Then swim with fish, reef sharks, turtles and more inside reef. Sit out on bow and talk to Pedro or crew about the area.Do this as a must and tell your friends also as it would be a shame to visit Coral Bay and not do this.

This crew cared- they were really passionate about what they could show us and how to look after it. We took 2 kids and they accommodated that no worries, nothing was too much trouble. The numbers were great (only 12 of us) and it will be the highlight of our visit to coral bay.

As a few of us wanted a personalised tour - this group was exactly right for us. The crew were extremely helplful and it was well worth money. We got to snorkel with all sorts of fish plus reef sharks and a mana ray. We felt safe and well looked after by the staff - all rew members had a great knowledge of the area and what we could expect. Would go again.

With a maximum of 12 guests only, this tour is ideal for people like me who are not keen on tours with lots of people waiting turns like a production line. The crew were very helpful at all times. I went with a group of friends, one of them said it had been worth the money after the first 5 minutes in the water. The crew made sure were got up close to a manta ray, humpbacks, not to mention the turtles, reef sharks and fish over the coral reef. Highly recommend this small group tour.

As a group of 4 families, with children aged 8 - 15, we were after a personal touch with our trip to Coral Bay. After much research and speaking to all the operators in Coral Bay, we chose Ningaloo Experience, based on their group size ( max 12 ), their efficient communications, and previous positive TA reviews. They exceeded all our expectations. Pedro, Fran, Julia and Kate were fantastic and were able to not only run an enjoyable tour but add interesting local and marine facts as we encountered Manta rays, turtles and humpback whales breaching within 100 metres of the boat, as well as countless varieties of fish. We enjoyed it so much we chartered the boat again two days later for a combined snorkelling and fishing trip. The seas were more choppy than the first but we were able to tailor our itinerary to suit, something that may not be as easily done with a larger group. Despite this, due to Pedro's knowledge of the area over decades, we had another fantastic day with catches of snapper, mackeral and squid, enough to feed all of us for a couple of days. Excess catches were released. We did the trips on the 8th and 10th of July 2013.We will have no hesitation in joining the tour again on our next trip to Coral Bay.As the tour name suggests, it is an experience, and one that we all thoroughly enjoyed.

What an experience! We did the Outer Reef Experience tour. It was amazing, we got to snorkel with a manta ray, reef sharks, turtle and heaps and heaps of fish. The skipper and crew provided a lot of information and were extremely knowledgeable, they also showed an honest awareness and care for the natural environment. The small group made it an even better experience, there was plenty of room for us to laze around on the boat as Pedro moved us from location to location. Definitely consider this when you book the tour. When there is only 12 people it is easy to get a good look at the fish etc in the water. I find it hard to imagine having 20 people snorkel around a manta ray or having to wait on board until it was your 'groups' turn to get in the water. The guys took a lot of care to talk about safety as well and made sure we were all comfortable in the water. My only tip would be to take some snacks on board. They provided morning tea but we were out on the boat until about 2pm (which is great) but by the end my husband and I were quite hungry. Some of the other passengers thought of bringing extra snacks but unfortunately we didn't.Excellent tour, excellent crew, amazing reef! Do it, you'll love it!

We went on the Outer reef experience and had close up view of whales we swam with Manta rays and had time snorkelling. We we were supplied with all the gear required for great swim including wetsuits. The staff on booking experience were very helpful decking out the family in snorkelling gear. Daniel was our onboard guide who was friendly, informative and at all times making sure everyone on board was safe, comfortable and fed. Pedro our skipper was obviously a very experienced man who knew the best spots to find the animals. We had a great day and we also got some photos to take home of our experience. Highly recommend it.

Spent a week in Coral Bay in late July. Was blown away by the marine life and the professional yet laid-back service provided by Ningaloo Experience. The small group size, knowledgable and friendly staff made an already amazing day unforgettable. Off-season for whale sharks but was still able to swim with manta rays, turtles and countless fish. Tea, coffee and cake also provided while we watched in awe as humpback whales breached on either side of the boat. Five stars!

We visited coral bay in late June. After some research I booked with Ningaloo Experience due to the number of people they take on their trip (and this is great as it really gives you an opportunity to have the best personal experience if you swim with the manta rays and also gives you some room to move around when on the boat.). On the day of our trip we had some cool windy conditions to start the day. We visited two great snorkelling sites and had a fantastic lunch on board (an added extra for that day.) Unfortunately we didn't find any manta rays though. Despite this we had a good day. It was amazing just cruising along the coast line and the snorkelling spots were great. My husband and I decided that as we had the time we would go out again a couple of days later (in the hope of swimming with manta rays) and along with another couple from our first day trip did this at a discounted rate.Our second trip was fantastic. We had whales breeching right beside the boat, enjoyed snorkelling again but at different spots to the previous trip and we swam with manta rays twice. It was a special thing to experience and still differnent to swimming with the whale sharks. On both our trips we were looked after by Dan our friendly guide, and the skippers Pedro and Stewie. Thanks to Fran in the office who was friendly and helpful with booking and also arranging gear to go out.

Okay so it is our fault for not checking ahead, but we were stunned by the $400/pp charge to to swim with the Whale Sharks. We opted for a less expensive snorkel tour that we really enjoyed.($140/pp)The reef itself was terrific and the locals generally very friendly. (one snarly waitress) The place we stayed at was fine and really close to the water. The area is totally tourist focused and dont expect many frills.The bakery is good in the shopping centre and the coffee was served hot and tasty.There are only 3 restaurants and they are all fairly average.Go for the sun and a snorkel.