Seven nights
along the Ningaloo Coast, Exmouth to Dampier
Calm turquoise water, reef you snorkel straight off the boat and a different anchorage almost every night. Owner-run, all-inclusive, eight guests.
The voyage at a glance
This is a slow week up one of the most remote coastlines in the country, on a boat run by the two mates who own her. Ryan and Jacko grew up on this water, captain every voyage themselves, and keep the group small enough that by day three, you’re part of the crew. They haven’t been bought out by a bigger operator, and the crew stays season to season, so the people who meet you on the dock are the ones who know this coast best. Days are unhurried: snorkel the reef, fish the gulf, take the tender into a bay no one else can reach, then watch the sun go down from the top deck with a drink in hand.
2026 rates
Season: autumn and spring departures; dates vary
A one-way voyage up the coast
The Ningaloo Coast Voyager runs one way, north from Exmouth to Dampier, over seven nights and eight days. You sail mostly in daylight, so you don’t miss the coastline, covering around 220 nautical miles at an easy pace, with a new anchorage most evenings.
The point of going one-way is that every day shows you somewhere new. You start in the calm bays of the Exmouth Gulf, work north past the Mackerel Islands and their fringing reef and finish among the quiet waterways near Dampier. The route used to be known as the Montebello voyage and a few people still search for it that way; it’s the same stretch of coast, now sailing as the Ningaloo Coast Voyager.
Day by day
A sample itinerary, fully customisable to your interests. We’ll shape it around the group, the conditions and what you most want to see.
Exmouth: Welcome Aboard
Join Eclipse at Exmouth Marina at 3:00pm. Settle into your cabin, meet the crew and have a welcome drink while we run through the boat and the safety briefing. As we cruise across the Exmouth Gulf to your first anchorage, the evening eases in with sunset drinks and nibbles before dinner on board.
Eastern Gulf
Start with an early morning fish on the eastern side of the gulf, then back for a cooked breakfast and a mud-crabbing run on the tide. After lunch, Eclipse sets course for Long Island, trolling for mackerel, wahoo and tuna along the way and anchors in the early evening.
Long Island
A gentle morning on the water: stand-up paddle, beachcombing and snorkelling the shallow coral straight off the beach. After lunch on board, we cruise north toward Thevenard Island, with surface trolling along the way and anchor in the early evening.
Thevenard Island
Make the most of the island, with guided snorkelling, a kayak out, a beach walk or a sunset paddle. We depart early afternoon for Varanus Island, with sunset drinks and dinner underway and anchor late evening.
Varanus Island
A standout day for fishing and snorkelling. An early morning fish, then a cooked breakfast on board, followed by a mid-morning snorkel straight off the swim platform into the world just below the hull. After lunch, we head to the fringing reefs on the gently sloping sea floor for drift snorkelling across vibrant coral. A relaxed evening at anchor ahead of an early start.
Montebello Islands
Leave Varanus before sunrise for the run into the Montebello archipelago, arriving mid-morning to anchor in the southern chain. Explore the winding waterways of Willy Nilly Lagoon on the tide, then a low-tide snorkel inside the reef. In the afternoon, a walk on Alpha Island before beach drinks and a long Montebello sunset.
Montebello Islands
More of the islands and the reefs around them: dive or snorkel the coral gardens, or drift through one of the clear-water channels. After a late lunch on board, Eclipse departs for Dampier, arriving at Eaglehawk in the evening for your final night at anchor.
Dampier: Disembarkation
A short morning cruise brings Eclipse into Hampton Harbour. Guests step off in Dampier at around 8:00am.
Custom itineraries are available on request. T&Cs apply; all voyages subject to availability and confirmed booking.
Room to spread out, across three levels
She’s a spacious, airy boat with living space on three levels. Cabins sit below, with an open entertaining deck in the middle where meals and drinks happen and the star deck up top for sundowners under a clear night sky. Because she draws very little water, she gets in close to the coast and into reef-fringed bays that larger ships have to stay clear of, so you wake up already in the good spots.
Everything's taken care of
The voyage is all-inclusive. Once you’re on board, you don’t reach for your wallet.
- All meals, snacks, tea and coffee, cooked fresh on board
- Beer, wine and spirits and non-alcoholic drinks
- Every off-vessel excursion: snorkelling, fishing, paddleboarding, beach landings
- Van transfers from your Exmouth airport or accommodation to the boat
When's the best time to go?
The water along this coast stays calm, clear and warm for most of the year, so there’s no wrong time. Autumn voyages, around March and April, catch the coral spawn, the manta rays gathering and the start of whale shark season. Spring voyages, around October and November, are quieter and especially still, with the clearest reef snorkelling and turtles nesting on the beaches. Through winter, humpbacks pass close on their way north.
Dates fill across the season. Tell us roughly when you’d like to travel and what you’d most love to see and we’ll point you to the right departure.
Our Client Reviews
Come and see this coast with us
Eight guests, seven nights, one quiet stretch of Western Australia most people never reach. Tell us when you’d like to sail and we’ll take it from there. Ryan, Jacko and the crew would love to have you on board.
Before you go
New to this coast? Read about the Ningaloo Coast: the reef, the wildlife and the bays you can only reach by sea.
Comparing voyages? See our Kimberley expeditions and the South West Safari.
