Lighthouse Bay

Lighthouse Bay Dive Site Guide | Exmouth, WA, Australia

By ScubaDownUnder Team · 2026-04-22

# Lighthouse Bay

A sheltered bay on the eastern shore of the Exmouth Gulf within the Cape Range National Park, with fringing coral reef, exceptional visibility, and the diverse tropical marine life of the Ningaloo Reef system.

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## Quick stats

| Detail | Info | |---|---| | Location | Exmouth, WA | | Skill Level | Beginner | | Depth Range | 2–18 m | | Typical Visibility | 10–30 m | | Water Temperature | 21–28 degrees C | | Best Season | March–October | | Entry Type | Shore | | Hazards | Marine stingers (box jellyfish) in summer; Boat traffic in the bay; Coral | | Facilities | Car park at the Lighthouse Bay beach; No facilities at the beach itself, nearest toilets and services at Milyering Visitor Centre; Full services in Exmouth township |

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Lighthouse Bay is on the sheltered eastern side of the Cape Range Peninsula within the Ningaloo Marine Park, and its combination of calm water, easy shore access, and the tropical reef community of the Ningaloo system makes it one of the most accessible introductions to world-class coral reef diving available anywhere in Australia.

Cape Range National Park occupies the ridge of the peninsula, and its western and eastern coastlines are part of the Ningaloo Marine Park, one of the most significant marine protected areas in Australia, listed as a World Heritage Site in 2011 for the quality and extent of its fringing reef. Lighthouse Bay sits on the eastern, gulf-facing side, sheltered from the prevailing Indian Ocean swell that affects the western coast sites, and the calmer conditions make it appropriate for swimmers, snorkellers, and divers at all experience levels.

The reef begins close to shore, with the sandy beach giving way to seagrass beds in the shallows and then fringing coral in 3–8 metres, developing in complexity and coverage as depth increases to around 15–18 metres at the outer reef edge. The hard coral community is healthy, with plate corals, brain corals, and branching Acropora formations providing the structural complexity that the tropical reef fish community requires. Parrotfish work the coral in multiple species, surgeonfish school in the water column above the reef, and the Maori wrasse that patrol the mid-section of the reef are large enough to indicate a site that has not been heavily fished.

Green and hawksbill turtles feed on the reef and seagrass with the unhurried confidence of animals under full protection. Dugongs (*Dugong dugon*), marine mammals listed as vulnerable under Australian law, feed on the seagrass beds in the bay seasonally. Reef sharks patrol the outer reef edge with the steady efficiency of resident animals rather than transient visitors. On productive days, manta rays cross the bay entrance, and the bay's sheltered position makes observing their movement through clear, still water a more extended encounter than the open-ocean sightings possible on the western coast.

Visibility is a function of weather and season: 15–25 metres is typical in the dry season from April through October, when the southeast trade winds produce stable conditions. Summer brings elevated marine stinger risk, and the box jellyfish presence from October through April makes stinger suits strongly recommended during this period.

## Site Access and Logistics

Cape Range National Park is approximately 40km northwest of Exmouth, accessed via Murat Road. National park entry fees apply. The Lighthouse Bay beach is on the western side of Murat Road, follow the signed track. Open Water certification is appropriate; the site is used for introductory dives and check-outs by Exmouth operators. Stinger suits recommended October–April. Full services in Exmouth.

## Sources - [Muiron Island](https://www.scubadownunder.com/blog/muiron-island-a-pristine-oasis-in-western-australias-ningaloo-reef) - [Ningaloo Reef](https://www.scubadownunder.com/blog/ningaloo-reef-western-australias-coral-masterpiece-for-every-diver) - [Blizzard Reef ](https://www.scubadownunder.com/blog/ningaloo-reef-western-australias-coral-masterpiece-for-every-diver)