Sunset Wine and Whale Watching across Exmouth Gulf with Lindsay Sorensen

When holidaymakers visit the Ningaloo region for the first time, they often book tours of the Ningaloo Reef first, attracted to the open ocean and everything that it offers. But Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo scuba diving and snorkelling guide, Lindsay Sorensen, says that Exmouth Gulf is just as special.

Humpback Whale breaching. Image: Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo

“The Ningaloo Coast side is famous for its reef, but the Exmouth Gulf side of the peninsula is magical,” she says. “The diversity of marine animals found here is astounding, and it’s a nursery for so many species of fish and marine invertebrates.”

When you ask Lindsay about her most memorable moment on the gulf, she doesn’t hesitate to answer: “Any time we get to watch adult and baby whales interacting with each other is remarkable,” she says. “The whales travel from Antarctica to the Kimberley where they have their babies, then they turn around and come back, so we often see mothers and calves in the gulf. Humpback Whales have massive pectoral fins and they’re the most acrobatic whale in the ocean, so seeing an adult perform a trick and then watching a baby try and copy is unforgettable.”

Humpback Whale breaching. Image: Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo

Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo offers whale watching tours August through October, and sunset tours are, rightly, very popular. “Watching the sunset heightens the experience,” Lindsay says. “We don’t actually see the sun sink into the ocean in the gulf, which you would if on the open ocean, but we do see the sun setting along the Cape Range, and this transforms the whole gulf into a purple-pink colour. The clouds often look like puffs of fairy floss, and then you might have whales playing in the water, too. It’s incredible.”

Watch - Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo: Our Story

Even on rare days when the sunset might not be as glorious as anticipated, guests are always moved by the number of majestic Humpback Whales resting in the gulf. “Any day out here is special,” Lindsay says. “The Exmouth Gulf is a sanctuary for so many marine creatures and is a critical ecosystem for us to protect for future generations.”