Coral Bay

Coral Bay is aptly named. It is a small town situated along Ningaloo Reef and offers pleanty to do.

Firstly, if you are Mitch Pocock, you pester your father to take you fishing. Although the catch of the day may be seaweed.

Fishing in Bateman's Bay.

Mitch was not impressed a photo was taken of his catch. Apparently you can only photograph real fish.

Secondly, you can feed the Spangled Perch of an afternoon.

Thirdly, you can go snorkelling. The call the reef at Coral Bay Coral Gardens. Once again aptly named. The variety of coral is amazing.

Finally, and most importantly you can go swimming with Manta Ray.

Manta Rays

We are very exicited to go swimming with the Manta Rays. Even Mitch was looking forward to the event as the water was not deep. The day started with a snorkel at the shark cleaning station. Here little fish clean out the sharks teeth. Never seen so many sharks in the one spot. During our snorkel we also saw a turtle hiding under some coral.

Shark cleaning station

After our snorkel we went swimming with a manta ray. Mitch had a quarter of  a swim as he screamed 'get me out of here' again. He thought that he could not see the bottom. He did not realise the white stuff where the ray was swimming was the bottom. Ethan had a good swim. This particular Manta was a swimming slowly so we did not have to work had to keep up (unlike the Whale Sharks).

The belly of our Manta Ray. It is like a thumb print and is used to identify each manta ray.

Chris swimming with the Manta Ray.

You can just make us out swimming above the Manta.

After we swam with the rays we went whale watching. We we lucky to see both Humpback Whales and Dolphins. Originally we were following the Humpbacks. then suddenly we could see a pod of dolphins making a bee line for us. They started swimming in the wake of the boat and in the wake of the Humpbacks. Very lucky.

Dolphins swimming with Humpbacks.

Dolphin swimming in wake of the boat.

Boys on boat.