Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia: On the trail of humpback whales, Ningaloo Reef

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Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia: On the trail of humpback whales, Ningaloo Reef

By Conal Hanna
Updated
Snorkellers who have successfully managed to swim with humpback whales off Ningaloo Reef speak about it as an almost religious experience.

Snorkellers who have successfully managed to swim with humpback whales off Ningaloo Reef speak about it as an almost religious experience. Credit: Ningaloo Whalesharks

It's hard to believe you could miss something the size of a humpback whale. But then circumstances were somewhat in the whale's favour. While we on the boat might have had the incredulous look of my wife pointing out the vegetable peeler in the second drawer ("it's right there"), those in the water had a somewhat different perspective.

They were, after all, 3.5 nautical miles off shore, in water 70 metres deep, bobbing up and down with the considerable swell. Armed only with snorkels and masks, this group of half a dozen looked – and probably felt – small, vulnerable and out of place, as the boat retreated away a distance deemed safe for the whale. It would no doubt seem lonely, other than the fact they were preoccupied scanning the cool blue-green soup around them for any sight of a creature the size of a bus.

And then suddenly it was right there. From the boat we saw it breach, what seemed a short distance from the snorkellers. Our gasps were audible. This is what we had been waiting for. Not a whale sighting, per se, but something much rarer – a chance to swim with the humpbacks.

Taking the plunge at Ningaloo Reef, WA.

Taking the plunge at Ningaloo Reef, WA. Credit: Conal Hanna

Except that those swimming don't see it. All staring face down in the water, the breach escaped them, and the whale then either dived deep or detoured around them. They did, however, hear it. And that was enough to have them in raptures back on the boat. If that was their reaction after hearing one in the wild, imagine the experience of swimming alongside one. Let the hunt continue!

It is a strange thing to be relaxing in a tranquil paradise and still feel a vague sense of unfulfillment. By lunchtime of our first day on Western Australia's Ningaloo Reef we had already snorkelled in pristine azure waters, alongside turtles, giant clams and myriad bright fish. We'd spotted a mum and pup dolphin swimming right beside our boat. And now we were lounging in swimsuits on the boat's varied nooks, soaking up the sunshine with the troubles and winter temperatures of our east coast city homes literally thousands of kilometres away. We should, by any measure, have been in a state of Ningaloo-inspired bliss. Except for our pesky expectations. Because we were there on a "swim with the humpbacks" trip and, well, that is a rather large distraction to have in the backs of our minds.

It was in August of this year that the WA government began a four-month trial allowing tourists to swim with the humpbacks off Ningaloo Reef. The region is most famous for its large, docile, spotted whale sharks, which 20,000 tourists already come to swim with each year from March to September. The humpback trial has allowed operators to extend their season, in a region suffering at the decline of the mining boom. But it has also required a lot of learning on their part, with crews adapting their operational procedures and interaction protocols before public tours began.

Spotting whales is easy at Ningaloo Reef. Swimming with them is a bit more tricky but a lot more fun.

Spotting whales is easy at Ningaloo Reef. Swimming with them is a bit more tricky but a lot more fun. Credit: Conal Hanna

The humpbacks swimming past the reef are migratory and, unlike Queensland's Hervey Bay, not inclined to stop and rest. Which makes skippering a "swim with whales" trip quite a challenge. They might be big, but they're anything but slow. The languid, purposeful grace on display when they breach gives a false impression as they are anything but predictable under the water. "Ultimately, all I can do is to try and be in the right spot but it's up to the whales," says our captain, Steve.

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The boats aren't allowed within 150 metres in front of the whales, in the direction the pod is travelling, or 50m of the side. Which sounds like common sense when you consider their side pectoral fin alone is the width of our entire boat. You can't swim with any calves, and boats are only allowed three tries to swim with any one pod.

The pattern we soon fall into is to spot a whale, either ourselves or via the spotter plane above which is jointly paid for by the local boats, and career off at high speed to try and get in front of it. Then, our hardy first group of snorkellers slide off the back of the boat and into the sea, senses on full alert. We are group two of two on the boat (the snorkelling boats are much smaller here than somewhere like Cairns), meaning we need group one to record a successful sighting before getting our chance in the water.

Oh so close: Our group of snorkellers (left) were swimming near the humpback whale (far right) but couldn't quite see it.

Oh so close: Our group of snorkellers (left) were swimming near the humpback whale (far right) but couldn't quite see it. Credit: Conal Hanna

At times it feels like the scene we're playing out requires Benny Hill music, as we set off on another wild chase. The captain and crew are clear animal lovers, and aren't about to do anything stupid. Still, it's hard at times not to feel like the intense purposefulness of the "swim with" experience is at odds with the amazingly chilled nature surrounding it.

Just because we're not having much luck with the humpbacks doesn't mean the wildlife spotting has stopped. At one stage, a pod of dolphins comes and plays literally right beside us, surfing the bow wave of the boat. I'm stranded with the telephoto lens on my camera – they're too close to even shoot! Instead I'm forced to just sit and watch their care-free frolicking. It's such a joyful, unexpected experience. As we continue to use a suite of technology to stage one experience with nature, the dolphins' flippancy reminds me of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, when he discusses the competing claims of humans and dolphins to be the world's smartest mammals. "Man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much – the wheel, New York, wars and so on – whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man – for precisely the same reasons."

So why were we doing it to ourselves? Because speak to anyone who's successfully swum with a humpback and it sounds like something truly out of this world. They describe it in humbling, almost religious, tones. "You feel 'this big' and nothing else matters," says one. "Totally exhilarating. I still get goosebumps a month later," says another. In the face of such demonstrable evidence, it's perhaps easier to remember you're not that big in the scheme of things.

Swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo is easier to achieve than with humpbacks.

Swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo is easier to achieve than with humpbacks.Credit: Tourism Australia

Whether or not you manage to see a humpback up close, there is no shortage of other creatures to snorkel alongside. More than 500 tropical fish species inhabit the 300-kilometre-long reef, alongside whales, dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, huge cod, turtles and whale sharks. Prue, one of our guides, and the partner of our captain Steve, is originally from Sydney but has been in WA for 10 years. It's clear the slower pace of life here agrees with her. But it's under the sea where the region's attractions really come to light. "The best thing about Coral Bay is the proximity of the reef to the coast, and the variety of 'big stuff'," she says. "You can head out in a tinnie, and see a dugong, manta ray, whale shark, turtles and all different types of fish, and still be home in time for lunch."

The coral here is naturally less dramatic colours than the Great Barrier Reef, but still very healthy, and helps to focus the mind on the amazing wildlife coming and going through the various nooks and crannies. One of the most popular attractions is dubbed the "shark cleaning station", where groups of grey reef sharks congregate to get their teeth "cleaned" by parasite-eating fish. While the "big" sightings get most of the plaudits, some of my favourites are the smallest creatures, like the schools of blue-green chromis fish teeming around my outstretched hand, like underwater glitter.

One of the most striking things about this part of the world is its persistent, ruggedly beautiful remoteness. You can see why it's inspired one of our greatest novelists, Tim Winton. The view from the plane on our 1200 kilometre flight north from Perth was awe-inspiring enough: rich cyan waters, undulating peninsulars, beaches that, in most other parts of the world – in most parts of Australia – would likely be surrounded by high rises. Inland a little from the sea, our view is of red West Australian earth, pockmarked with holes made by temporary small water bodies. It's like looking at a rusty car door under a microscope.

Snorkellers at the ready to attempt a swim with a humpback whale off Ningaloo Reef, WA.

Snorkellers at the ready to attempt a swim with a humpback whale off Ningaloo Reef, WA. Credit: Conal Hanna

If those other-worldly views don't have you already a bit disoriented, you then land in Exmouth airport, which is essentially an outback tin shed with nothing else visible to the naked eye except flat, barren WA landscape. It's absolutely brilliant, and feels worlds – not six or seven hours – away from Sydney or Melbourne.

But if Exmouth feels remote, Coral Bay is a true frontier community. One-hundred-and-fifty-five kilometres south of Exmouth, with little except the odd caravan and frequent termite mounds in the way of scenery in between, Coral Bay is not a town but a settlement – you need to work there to live there. About 220 people do just that, while the town reportedly can house 2000 tourists in peak season. It's hard to imagine it even that "crowded". (It occurs to me that more people probably live on my high-rise laden Sydney street.) The remoteness of this area is without doubt part of its charms. Most of the settlement's power comes from the three windmills sitting atop the hill overlooking town. They make a fine reference point from our boat, the only distinguishing feature puncturing the flat coastal landscape.

The final snorkel of my 1.5 days, and I get my largest yet "swim with" experience – not a whale but a manta ray. Fittingly, I nearly fail to see it, until one of my group redirects my attention literally right below us. It's probably only seconds that I manage to keep pace with him, a majestic, Batman-like figure soaring beneath us, but for that period it's like time has stopped. My mind is singularly focused on his graceful glide. A "swim with" trip might take some organising, but if you're lucky enough to have one, you'll soon forget everything that came before it.

"Like a rusty car door under a microscope": the landscape around Western Australia's Ningaloo Reef is out of this world.

"Like a rusty car door under a microscope": the landscape around Western Australia's Ningaloo Reef is out of this world. Credit: Conal Hanna

Conal Hanna travelled courtesy of RAC's Ningaloo Reef Resort.

TRIP NOTES

Getting there

Qantas flies from Perth to Exmouth (two hours) twice daily on weekdays, once on weekends. Coral Bay is 1.5-two hours drive south of Exmouth. Transport can be arranged from the airport. Alternatively, it is an 11.5-hour drive from Perth north to Coral Bay.

Staying there

There are three main accommodation options in Coral Bay – Ningaloo Reef Resort, Bayview Coral Bay and People's Park Coral Bay – with camping, cabins and motel rooms on offer. Prices range from $40 for an unpowered camp site to $395 for a high-end (by local standards) apartment. Receive up to 30 per cent off bookings at Ningaloo Reef Resort or Exmouth Holiday Park until March 31, 2017. See parksandresorts.rac.com.au

Snorkelling there

Eleven tour operators from Exmouth and Coral Bay are participating in the humpback swimming trial, which lasts until November 30. Coral Bay Ecotours runs "swim-with humpback" tours from $270. You can snorkel with whale sharks from March-September and manta rays all year round.

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