Ultimate Marine Life Explorer

Humpback whales tail-slapping the sapphire waters. Dolphins dancing around your knees. Serene turtles swimming past, paying little attention to the brightly coloured fish darting in and out of coral hideaways. Sea lions and little penguins playing and preening on the shore. Western Australia offers wildlife encounters that are rare and wondrous. And this maritime adventure, of three days and 500 kilometres, is an unforgettable meet-and-greet with some magnificent marine animals. From Perth, it’s a short drive to Hillarys Boat Harbour. Between September and December, a boat tour whisks you out to see Humpback whales – big as a bus and breathtakingly graceful – cruise past on their annual migration to Antarctica. Back at the harbour, the Aquarium of Western Australia plunges you deep into underwater realms - touch your nose against the tunnel glass to witness the magical species that call the coast home. In the briny, pristine waters of Rockingham your swimming companions are playful wild dolphins. Peek into their watery world between September and May on a swimming or boat tour. Among the shipwrecks and sea grass, adorable penguins and rare Australian sea lions steal the show at the spectacular Shoalwater Islands Marine Park, a snorkeller’s paradise. Further south in Bunbury, loveable Bottlenose dolphins swim into the sheltered shallows of Koombana Bay. Wade in to experience an extraordinary encounter with these charismatic local celebrities, or join a swim or boat tour from October to April to see them in the deep blue. Home to the longest timber jetty in the southern hemisphere, Busselton is a marine playground where snorkelling, swimming and beachy activities abound. At the jetty’s end, the Underwater Observatory sinks you eight metres below Geographe Bay, where vivid marine lifeforms thrill in Australia’s largest artificial reef.