Lakeside is a premier shore-entry snorkel site on Ningaloo's outer reef, accessed from the Milyering Visitor Centre car park in Cape Range National Park. Snorkellers swim about 100 metres offshore past sandy beds to reach a stunning field of large coral bommies that drop off into deeper aqua water. The site is marked by shore markers and two yellow floating buoys that guide you to the best coral formations. The exposed outer-reef position means it catches Ningaloo's legendary clarity and frequently hosts green turtles, manta rays, reef sharks, and large pelagic fish cruising the bommie edges. It is suited to moderate-to-confident swimmers due to occasional currents and the distance required to reach the prime reef.
Lakeside Dive Site (Coral Bay outer reef)
IntermediateMAYBE
MAYBE
Fair. Experienced snorkellers only.
Showing last known conditions
Wave Height 0.8 mSwell Period 11 sWind Speed 5.6 knPrecipitation 0.0 mmTidal Phase flood
Last evaluated
© SimonverhammeThe spot
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Community contribution: submitted by Daniel
Know before you go
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Moderate risk: Marine stingers
Box jellyfish and other stingers may be present during the warmer months (November to May).
Low risk: Outgoing tide current
Tidal currents can run parallel to shore, particularly on the outgoing tide, requiring moderate swimming fitness and fins.
Low risk: Distance from shore
The best coral bommies are about 100 m offshore; snorkellers need to be comfortable swimming that distance in open water.
Wildlife Guide
No wildlife notes for this spot yet.
Gallery
2 photos from the community
Getting in
Shore entry
Entry
Lakeside (also called Lakeside Sanctuary) is accessed from the Milyering Visitor Centre car park within Cape Range National Park. From the car park, walk approximately 500 metres to the left along the beach to reach the snorkel entry point. Note: This spot is near Exmouth, not Coral Bay town — it's part of the Ningaloo Marine Park's northern reef section.
Parking & facilities
Park at the Milyering Visitor Centre car park, which is well-signed off the main Yanchep road through Cape Range National Park.
parkingtoiletsdrinking_water
Entry to Cape Range National Park requires a valid park pass (per-vehicle or per-person fee applies).
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About this data
- Conditions last evaluated
- Spot data last updated
- Data sources
- Open-Meteo (marine & weather conditions), tide predictions via UTide, community contributors (descriptions, hazards, marine life).
- License
- Spot content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. How's the Spot is open source.
Weather & swell ┬╖ Open-Meteo marine & weather APIs Tides ┬╖ UTide harmonic analysis Sea & safety ┬╖ community reports