Dive Review of DIve Ningaloo/N/A in
Australia/Navy Pier, Exmouth W Australia

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DIve Ningaloo/N/A: "Interesting Shore Dive in Remote Western Australia", Jun, 2023, by Laura Todd, CA, US ( Sr. Reviewer 9 reports with 10 Helpful votes). Report 12472 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food	N/A
Service and Attitude	N/A	Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This is a special dive in a unique part of Australia and when the conditions and animals cooperate it can be world class. I dove it twice in a week and unfortunately had one below par and one average experience. Part of the issue is cost, at $AU300 for a double dive and $AU 230 for single dives. The number of dives you get is totally dependent on the tides for the day, as is your dive time. The area is subject to extreme currents and can only be done at slack high. If you go in Australian winter (which you should to take advantage of the whales and whale sharks on nearby Ningaloo reef), be prepared for the 70F water temperatures. I found it chilly but do-able in a 5 mil plus hood. Dive Ningaloo rents 5 and 7 mil suits. If you get two dives, make sure to bring a hoody or jacket for the surface interval as its spent on the large open top of the pier. It is also located on a working military base and there are strict security procedures: you must bring your passport and register, which log will be checked when you enter the base, no photography, etc. There is also an extra $50 charge per day that I'm still not quite sure of the reason for. Since the public can't just turn up at the base, the operator includes bus pick ups from the local accommodations in the price. They are very organized, have a number of videos to prepare you for the dive and allow enough time for everybody to get organized. Do pay attention and follow the procedures. Your kit will be towed right out onto the end of the pier behind the bus on a chest high trailer, meaning you just unhook the bungee, back into your gear and there you go. There are some fitness requirements: you will need to descend about 20 stairs in full gear, do a pretty high (3 plus meters) giant stride and climb 3 shorter flights of stairs in full gear when done. Other than that, its an easy shallow dive, maxxing out at about 45 feet. People with more than 30 dives are allowed to self guide and it is a finite space, but I still recommend going with a guide - included in the price - for one of your dives - I always see more. The visibility here is never good and it was pretty tragic, about 10 feet, on my first dive. I saw some reef octopus, 2 or 3 wobbegongs and a pair of the bright pink and purple Pseudoceros ferrugenous flatworms mating. The highlight of the second dive a few days later in addition to much better visibility, was an endemic Western Toadfish. Also the famous Big Friendly Grouper and some white tip reef sharks. The big toothy gray nurse sharks that the pier is renown for have not really shown up this year. There was a relative absence of macro life beyond a few common nudis. That said, the whole site is incredibly fishy. Would I go all the way to Western Australia just to dive the pier again? Not really. I think its better done as part of a larger trip to the area. The ideal, which many Australians do, is a road trip all up or down the west coast, taking in at a minimum, Coral and Shark Bays to the south and Broome and surrounds to the northeast. If you have more time start further south and include some of the awesome jetty dives in WA
Websites	DIve Ningaloo
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Philippines, Indonesia, Tahiti, Malaysia, Bahamas, Galapagos
Closest Airport	Learmonth	Getting There	via Adelaide or Perth
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	70-°F / 21-°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	10-25 Ft/ 3-8 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Time limit due to extreme tides
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	The staff will lower cameras on a rope once you are in the water. You have to carry your rig up three flights of stairs in full gear when you get out of the water. There is a rinse tub back at the shop but no other provisions for cameras.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of DIve Ningaloo/N/A in Australia/Navy Pier, Exmouth W Australia

DIve Ningaloo/N/A: "Interesting Shore Dive in Remote Western Australia", Jun, 2023,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of DIve Ningaloo/N/A in
Australia/Navy Pier, Exmouth W Australia