Dive Review of Exmouth Dive and Whale Shark/Potshot Motel in
Australia/Ningaloo

Other Australia reports
Subscriber Content Preview
Active subscribers go here

Exmouth Dive and Whale Shark/Potshot Motel: "Interesting Introduction to Exmouth, Western Australia", Jun, 2023, by Laura Todd, CA, US ( Sr. Reviewer 9 reports with 10 Helpful votes). Report 12488.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I spent 4 days diving Lighthouse Bay and the Muiron Islands as part of a package put together by Australian travel agency DivePlanit, The remaining 2 days were spent at the Navy Pier- see separate review. Transfers to the large comfortable boat (complete with head and sundeck) were included in the price, as were cookies and cake between the first and second dives and a lunch of wraps, cold cuts and fruit on the way back. Boat rides were long (1.75 hours each way to the Muirons, less to Lighthouse Bay) and we had rough conditions all but one day. Maybe it was the conditions that led them to repeat sites - no explanation was offered - but we went to the exact same 2 places over the 4 days. They rotated guides and while all were competent safety- wise, only one pointed out much of anything. I felt like I was being rushed at all times: hurrying to get in the water, rushed along underwater and particularly in between dives. They started having people get ready for the second dive at half an hour and when I questioned this, insisted that it's standard. I found the dives quite short also. Whatever else the guides did, they made sure everybody was on their safety stop at 45 minutes. On one dive I had way more than half a tank left (all the depths were shallow) so asked to look around the mooring for a bit; answer: NO. Lighthouse bay was better for big fish, including a reef manta one day, several wobbegongs, a white tip reef shark and the huge local olive sea snakes. These guys were at least 5 feet long and very friendly. The other reason for a good rating on big animals is the relatively close look we got at breaching humpbacks on the return trip one day. We did see the same pair of ornate ghost pipefish under a ledge on both visits: otherwise not much macro. There was a strong surface current at the Lighthouse Bay sites and most people had to hang around the mooring ball to catch their breath before descending. After the first day I asked for a granny line but none was installed. Of course I can do a surface swim in strong current, but why waste the energy and air? The Muirons were better for coral and nudis but were not very fishy. The whales and whale sharks are there in the Australian winter, which means cool water temperatures around 70F. I was fine underwater in a 5 mil suit and hood but froze on the boat. It was impossible to warm up in the sun because of the incessant wind of 20 to 30 mph. The company rents 7 mil full suits. To everybody's credit I saw not a single bit of trash in the water all week. The Potshot Motel is a large complex offering a variety of rooms from dorms to large family units with mini kitchenettes (microwave, toaster, mini-fridge, tea and coffee). The motel rooms are large but basic with minimal storage room. They are not serviced except between bookings. You can exchange towels at the office. The staff is very helpful. There are 3 bars, a restaurant, unheated pool, laundromat and a liquor store on the premises. The restaurant did not offer breakfast so you will need to make time to get groceries when you arrive or get up very early to eat at one of two restaurants in town that open before dive pick-ups start. The food quality was good but the menu was small. There are a variety of options for lunch and dinner within half a mile walking distance. The place is not set up for divers - no place to rinse your gear and only a communal outdoor clothesline to dry. This area had been on my bucket list for quite a while and though I'm glad I went, I would do it differently if I go again. I think the thing to do is suck it up, rent a car, practice driving on the left and make a road trip of it, as the Aussies do. Make sure to include Shark and Coral Bays to the south and Broome, a bit of a drive, as the Aussies say, to the north. I would also try either May or September in hopes of warmer water and less wind, although winter is theoretically less windy than summer according to the locals.
Websites	Potshot Motel
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, no currents
Water Temp	70-°F / 21-°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	20-40 Ft/ 6-12 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	arbitrary 50 minute dive times
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	> 2
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	N/A
UW Photo Comments	There are no provisions for cameras on the boat at all and it seemed as if staff were not used to handing them down to people.

Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here

Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 191 dive reviews of Australia and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

All Australia Dive Reviews and Reports
Diving Guide to Australia
Diving Reviews for All Dive Destinations

Want to assemble your own collection of Australia reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

Undercurrent Home

Page computed and displayed in 0.26 seconds

Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email. And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent
Get a free monthly email and a sample issue!

Dive Review of Exmouth Dive and Whale Shark/Potshot Motel in Australia/Ningaloo

Exmouth Dive and Whale Shark/Potshot Motel: "Interesting Introduction to Exmouth, Western Australia", Jun, 2023,

Photos Submitted with this Report

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 Exmouth Dive and Whale Shark/Potshot Motel in
Australia/Ningaloo