Tag along with Follow the Sun Relay participants Jess and Ridge as they go kayaking and snorkelling in Exmouth.
Prior to beginning our WA trip, we’d been told that we should go snorkelling on the Ningaloo Reef at Exmouth and we knew there were some beautiful swimming spots in the area. We both love the water and marine life, so we decided this was an absolute must. After a bit of research, we booked a tour with Exmouth Adventure Co and it was one of the best days of our trip so far!
Due to the fact that we were in the area in the off-season, not all of the regular tours were available (this has been the case in a few places we visited so we weren’t too surprised), but we were able to join them for a full day ‘lagoon explorer’ kayak and snorkel tour.
Our guide Neri picked us up from our accommodation at RAC Exmouth at 8am and, along with two other couples, we all drove out through Cape Range National Park to begin our adventure! Exmouth Adventure Co provided the kayaks, snorkels, life jackets, morning tea, lunch, dry bags (for electronics), fog solution to keep the snorkel masks clear, and optional long sleeve shirts for sun protection. All we had to bring was water and sunscreen!
After a quick but comprehensive induction and a visit from some local wallabies, we hit the water for our first session of kayaking. The water was clear and so blue, and we were lucky enough to spot plenty of turtles and rays swimming around!
Each of the couples on our tour had different levels of kayaking experience, but since we weren’t in any rush this wasn’t an issue at all. We stopped for a quick morning tea break and to reapply sunscreen before kayaking out to a buoy, where we clipped up our kayaks and then began our first snorkel.
We have been snorkeling a bit before, but if you haven’t this would be a great way to start. Having a guide is a great way to get comfortable with adjusting and wearing your mask, and having somebody who knows the area and the best spots is definitely a plus!
The marine life here is amazing and the reef is HUGE- in addition to all the coral and a variety of fish, on any given day you might see turtles, rays, sharks, starfish, dolphins and more. While we were snorkeling around looking at the marine life Neri took some pictures underwater, which is a great souvenir for us.
Photos: Exmouth Adventure Co
After a lunch break and some time relaxing on the beach (and reapplying sunscreen, of course) we were able to have a second snorkel straight from the beach- it’s crazy to think that this whole underwater ecosystem is so close to our own world above the water. This time, we saw a big turtle swimming around which was pretty exciting.
We then hopped back in the kayaks to paddle back to our starting point- the wind was going in our direction at this point which made it nice and easy! Over the course of the day we covered a total of 14km- so not only was it a great tourism experience, but a solid workout as well 😉
As we were packing up the kayaks, we noticed one of the wallabies was hanging around. Since it was such a hot day we thought it might need some water, which it happily lapped up. This wasn’t a part of the itinerary for the day, but it was definitely a nice bonus and a classic tourist moment.
It was a big day but an amazing one. If you’re ever in the Exmouth area, we would definitely recommend doing something like this! Exmouth has been one of our favourite places on the trip and this tour made our time there all the more special.
-Jess and Ridge
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