The whale shark season at Ningaloo runs from late March to early August. Several Coral Bay operators run full-day boat tours with spotter aircraft that scan the open ocean outside the reef and direct the boats to individual sharks. Snorkellers slip into the water in small groups and swim alongside the animal for a few minutes at a time, governed by strict distance rules set by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
Trips are not cheap — typically several hundred Australian dollars per person — but most operators offer a free retry if no sharks are sighted on the day. From August to early November the same fleet switches to humpback whale interactions as the whales migrate south with their calves. Book directly with the operators on the main street the day before; in peak season tours fill up fast.