Exmouth Navy Pier · Australia · Reef
Bundegi Reef
Shallow gulf reef with kayak moorings in the Bundegi Sanctuary Zone
Area photo: Joshua Tagicakibau · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bundegi Reef runs south from Bundegi Beach at the top of Exmouth Gulf, on the gulf side of North West Cape just below Point Murat. The water over the marked reef sites is 1.5 to 3 m deep, so it is snorkelling and shallow-water terrain reached from the sand, from the boat ramp at the beach or by kayak to two moorings inside the Bundegi Sanctuary Zone.
Also known as Bundegi Beach.
Where it is and how deep
21.8607° S, 114.1613° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Most people start at the boat ramp at Bundegi Beach and paddle about 3.5 km south along the inside of the reef, roughly an hour, to the two moorings you can tie up to: Nook and Crannies and The Cove. Site depth over the reef there runs from 1.5 to 3 m, so this is snorkelling and shallow-water work rather than a depth profile, and the Parks advice is to go at high tide because the sites can be shallow at low water.
From the mooring the return leg is north along the coast back to the ramp, and Parks suggests allowing about four hours for the round trip including time in the water. The reef lies inside the Bundegi Sanctuary Zone, one of the sanctuary zones of the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area, while the beach itself sits in a Recreation Zone of Ningaloo Marine Park where shore fishing is permitted. No published source sets out marine life, visibility or current for this reef, so check the day with an Exmouth operator.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Exmouth Navy Pier: Divable year-round on slack water; Apr–Oct is the dry season and overlaps the wider Ningaloo whale shark and humpback seasons.
Know before you go
- Depth over the reef is only 1.5 to 3 m and the mooring sites can be shallow at low water, so time the swim for high tide to stay off the coral.
- Parks advice for Ningaloo Marine Park warns that currents can be strong and that some areas are hazardous in certain conditions; check the forecast before paddling out.
Dive videos
Tiny yellow nudibranch laying eggs on Bundegi Reef · 2late4glen on YouTube
Bundegi Reef Snorkel · Snorkel Spots on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Bundegi Reef?+
The marked reef sites run from 1.5 to 3 m, so it is shallow throughout. Parks recommends going at high tide, as the sites can be shallow at low tide.
How do you get to Bundegi Reef?+
Bundegi Beach is reached by public road just south of Point Murat, a short drive from Exmouth, and has a boat ramp and a jetty. The two reef moorings, Nook and Crannies and The Cove, are about a 3.5 km paddle south of the ramp.
Sources
- Bundegi Beach, Ningaloo Marine Park — DBCA Explore Parks
- Exmouth (Western Australia) — Wikivoyage
- Ningaloo Coast — Wikipedia
More dive sites in Exmouth Navy Pier
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