Sponge Gardens - Ningaloo Reef
Sponge Gardens, on Ningaloo Reef, really lives up to its name. We found an incredible density of barrel sponges here, some easily big enough to sit inside, all interspersed with healthy hard corals. It’s a great spot for macro photographers, with plenty of small nudibranchs and flatworms tucked away, but also a good drift for less experienced divers when the current picks up. A solid, easy dive.
- Location
- Ningaloo Reef, Australia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -21.795208, 114.211120
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Muiron Islands
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 Sponge Gardens
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 Sponge Gardens
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