The spectacular Coral Bay in Western Australia is best visited from April through October. During this time, you’ll be able to make the most of the sensational beaches and the beautiful coral gardens, just a matter of meters into the crystal clear waters. While the weather is excellent throughout the year, the April through October period is particularly fine and benefits from low winds and calmer waters. This calm weather is complimented by the presence of several migrating species during this period, including humpback whales and whale sharks. You’ll also find giant manta rays are more prolific at this time, making your visit to the area even better.
Coral Bay is located on Australia’s west coast, halfway between Exmouth and Carnarvon. The small town is located some 1200 km north of Perth in the Gascoyne Region of Western Australia. The town can only be reached by the Minilya-Exmouth Road, which runs between Minilya and Exmouth. Just off the coast of Coral Bay is the extensive Ningaloo Reef, which is part of the Ningaloo Coast UNESCO World Heritage Area.
Coral Bay is an area that enjoys spectacular year-round warm weather. Located just to the north of the Tropic of Capricorn, it enjoys a tropical climate, albeit one with very little rainfall.
The Coral Bay area of Western Australia is blessed with very little rainfall. Even when there is rainfall, it’s fairly limited and short-lived. The wettest month of the year is June, but even during this month, the rainfall is nominal. When deciding when to visit Coral Bay, rainfall doesn’t need to be one of your considerations.
Coral Bay benefits from a year-round warm climate, with even winter days comfortably above 20°C most of the time. During the late spring, summer, and early autumn, temperatures can get very hot, with 40°C+ not uncommon. We’d recommend trying to avoid this time, as conditions can be very uncomfortable.
While the milder winter season is a great time to visit Coral Bay, you need to consider both the evening and water temperatures at this time of year. While the days remain warm during winter, evenings can become quite cool and require warm clothes. Likewise, the water temperature can drop by 4-5°C between summer and winter so you may require additional layers in the water.
Coral Bay is not an overly humid destination despite being in the tropics. While relative humidity remains above 50% throughout the year, it’s only during the winter months that this climbs into the 60s. Given the lower temperatures at this time of year, the humidity isn’t unwelcome.
Like most other destinations along the west coast of Australia, the wind plays a big part in determining the best time to visit. In Coral Bay, the wind tends to be at its calmest over the winter months before strengthening over the spring months. The summer is the windiest period before the winds ease during the autumn. While the winds can relieve the heat, they can also create choppy conditions out on the water. This isn’t ideal if you’re planning on snorkeling or diving.
To illustrate the exceptional year-round conditions in Coral Bay, we’ve collated the month-by-month breakdown of weather conditions. As highlighted above, there’s plenty of heat in Coral Bay and not much rain.
Month | Maximum Temp | Minimum Temp | Days of Rain |
January | 36°C | 22°C | 0 |
February | 36°C | 23°C | 1 |
March | 34°C | 22°C | 1 |
April | 32°C | 19°C | 1 |
May | 27°C | 16°C | 2 |
June | 23°C | 12°C | 4 |
July | 23°C | 11°C | 3 |
August | 24°C | 11°C | 2 |
September | 27°C | 13°C | 1 |
October | 31°C | 15°C | 0 |
November | 32°C | 17°C | 0 |
December | 35°C | 20°C | 0 |
As well as the climate, there are a couple of other important considerations when deciding the best time to visit Coral Bay.
The offshore Ningaloo Reef is the big reason to visit the area, so almost all visitors plan to spend time on and in the water. While a whole host of different species live in the reef that can be seen throughout the year, others are migratory and transient. The most popular of these migratory animals are humpback whales and whale sharks, which visit the area at different times. Whale sharks visit between March and July, while humpback whales pass through between June and October. The presence of these amazing creatures over the winter months plays a big part in influencing our decision on the best time to visit.
The school holidays are when many families look to get away, and popular destinations can become very busy. This is certainly the case for Coral Bay, which is incredibly busy across December and January, where the 6 week summer holiday falls. It’s also busy across the 2 week Easter vacation in April, plus the week-long winter and spring breaks in July and October, respectively. We’d recommend avoiding these periods if possible, as availability for tours and accommodation will decline, and costs will increase.
Coral Bay’s exceptional year-round climate makes it a destination that can be visited throughout the year. However, the period from April to October is undoubtedly the best for several reasons:
While the evenings can be cooler and have a higher chance of rain, this shouldn’t be enough to put you off visiting at this near-perfect time of year.
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