UNESCO World Heritage listed Ningaloo Marine Park is where you'll find the world's largest fringing reef, the Ningaloo Reef - 300 kilometres of biodiversity reaching from Red Bluff to Exmouth, and just a short swim from the shore in many places. Flights from Perth get you to nearby Learmonth airport in two and a half hours. Alternatively, you can make the two day drive from Perth to Coral Bay or Exmouth, or join an extended guided tour. Slip on a snorkel or jump aboard a diving tour for face-to-fin encounters with some 500 species of fish, manta rays and turtles, as you glide over 200 varieties of coral. If you'd prefer to stay dry, glass-bottom boat tours offer a window to this underwater world. Just beyond the reef lies one of the best places on Earth for a swim with the largest fish in the ocean, the gentle whale shark. They're regular visitors between March and late July, and from June to November, you can watch the humpback whales make their annual migration too. Not surprisingly, the fishing is top-notch too, with tuna, marlin and sail fish the prized catches. Fish the designated beach zones or join a fishing charter.
