Described as "an aquarium without glass", the Exmouth Navy Pier on Western Australia's Coral Coast is reputed to be one of the top 10 shore dives worldwide, primarily because of its vast array of marine life.
As the pier is still a working US naval base and to protect the diversity of fish life, all dives must be guided.
Divers to the Navy Pier can see wobbegong sharks, large potato cods, lion, angler, stone and scorpion fish, moray eels, octopus, large schools of travally and huge rays dozing in the sand.
The dive site is a photographer's dream with much of the sea life seemingly unafraid of divers.
Extending out from the shore, the T-shaped pier is 300 metres wide and 110 metres long and includes two outlying 'dolphins' (platforms for larger ships to tie up to) and reaches a depth of 10 metres.
Due to the area's large tidal range resulting in strong currents, the pier can only be dived at slack water which occurs for 30 minutes at the top and bottom of the tide. It is therefore critical that tourists must have dived within the previous six months before booking. Night dives on the pier are offered to advanced divers.
- Exmouth company Dive Ningaloo holds the sole licence for the site. www.diveningaloo.com.au
- To plan your Ningaloo region holiday australiacoralcoast.com/destinations/ningaloo-reef-region
