NORMALLY the word shark is enough to send people scrambling from the water. It's a different story in Western Australia.
WA is preparing for another big whale shark season, following sightings of the world's largest fish at Ningaloo Reef on the state's Coral Coast last month.
Nearly 30,000 people visited the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef last year to swim with the gentle giants, which migrate to the waters off WA between March and July to feed on plankton and krill.
Whale shark swim tours have begun operating from Coral Bay and Exmouth and will continue until late June (Coral Bay) and late July (Exmouth), giving you the chance to have a face-to-fin encounter with these friendly giants - which are six to 11 metres in length.
Ningaloo Marine Park's nutrient rich waters are considered one of the best places to swim with whale sharks.
Ningaloo Reef is the world's largest fringing reef. You can walk straight off the beach and snorkel in an underwater wonderland teeming with brilliant coloured coral, manta rays, sea turtles and more than 500 species of tropical fish.
Exmouth, the northern gateway to Ningaloo, is 1250km north of Perth. Qantas operates direct daily flights from Perth (just under two hours), or you can self-drive over two to three days and explore other Coral Coast highlights such and Geraldton, Kalbarri and Coral Bay.
Exmouth hosts the annual Ningaloo Whale Shark Festival, which celebrates the season with a family festival day, gala cocktail evening, movies under the stars and live music from May 25-27.
www.westernaustralia.com or read first-hand about the experience from local operator Sarah Ellis from Ningaloo Discovery - www.ningaloodiscovery.com.au
