Coral Bay

Coral Bay is one of Western Australia’s premier holiday destinations. The amazing Ningaloo Reef branches into the sheltered turquoise bay rimmed with white sandy beaches. It is warm all year round with temperatures ranging from 25°C in the winter months to the high 30s in the summer. Water temperatures range throughout the year from 20-28°C making a perfect beach getaway.

You will discover the beauty of Coral Bay 1,200kms north of Perth, 110kms south of Learmonth Airport on the southern end of the Ningaloo Reef, the largest fringing coral reef in the world.

The Coral Bay settlement has remained primarily a series of holiday accommodation facilities and businesses offering tours and catering for tourists and holiday makers. The Coral Bay settlement has never been gazetted as a townsite and residential land has not been available for freehold purchase since 1973.

In acknowledgement of the fragile ecology of the landscape and the potential for human activity to negatively impact upon the reef, planning authorities have capped the number of visitors to the town at 3,600 per night and the number of residents to 400. Planning document, the Ningaloo Coast Regional Strategy from Carnarvon to Exmouth, defines the limits and nature of development appropriate to the pristine wilderness Gascoyne coast of which Coral Bay is a part.

The Shire of Carnarvon is responsible for many of the municipal functions in the settlement. There is a permanent position on the Carnarvon Shire Council for a representative from Coral Bay. Many civic functions are performed by the Coral Bay Progress Association which is a community group active in negotiating with Government and business on behalf of the residents.

Shire of Carnarvon 2021 GWN7 Top Tourism Town entry.