North Fortescue Reef - Ningaloo Reef
North Fortescue Reef offers a classic Ningaloo experience, with healthy hard coral formations stretching out from the reef wall. You'll often find a good selection of reef fish here, from parrotfish grazing on the corals to small schools of fusiliers darting about. It's generally a gentle drift dive, perfect for those looking for a relaxed exploration of the outer reef without challenging conditions. We'd suggest it for divers comfortable with open water.
- Location
- Ningaloo Reef, Australia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -20.933332, 116.050000
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Great Sandy Island
Best Time to Dive in Ningaloo Reef
The warmest water temperatures in Ningaloo Reef occur in February, averaging 22.9°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 16.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 22.4°C
- February: 22.9°C
- March: 22.9°C
- April: 21.1°C
- May: 19.2°C
- June: 17.9°C
- July: 17.1°C
- August: 16.8°C
- September: 17.5°C
- October: 18.4°C
- November: 19.8°C
- December: 21.8°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Ningaloo Reef
- 5 Mile Reef (reef)
- Baylis Patches (reef)
- Beryl Reef (reef)
- Black Ledge (reef)
- Bowers Ledge (reef)
- Brewis Reef (reef)
- Bundegi Reef (reef)
- Combe Reef (reef)
- Coral Bay (reef)
- Darwin Reefs (reef)
- Darwin Reefs (reef)
- Exmouth Gulf
- Exmouth Reef (reef)
- Glennie Patches (reef)
- Lighthouse Bay - 5-15m (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to North Fortescue Reef
Marine Life in Ningaloo Reef
Home to 10 recorded species including 5 reef fish, 3 seagrass & algae, 2 sharks & rays.
Notable Species
- Banded Toadfish (Torquigener pleurogramma) - Reef Fish
- Bronze whaler (Carcharhinus brachyurus) - Sharks & Rays
- Yellow-eye Mullet (Aldrichetta forsteri) - Reef Fish
- Blue Rock Whiting (Haletta semifasciata) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Ag (Amphibolis griffithii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) - Sharks & Rays
- Species code: Pa (Posidonia australis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Sea Nymph (Amphibolis antarctica) - Seagrass & Algae
- Common Silver Belly (Gerres subfasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Blushing Wrasse (Coris auricularis) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for North Fortescue Reef
Based on average water temperature of 19.8°C, currents 11 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 20°C water
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories