The Paradise Beach drift is a longer, quieter alternative to Purdy Point. Starting from Paradise Beach on the western side of Bill's Bay, snorkellers drift north for about 1.8 km over reef in 1–4 m, then circle back into the bay at the cliffs.

Fish include floral Maori wrasse, yellowbar parrotfish, striped barracuda, harlequin sweetlips and many butterflyfish. The reef has been recovering since the 2022 ecological event. Strong swimmers can detour to the Ayers Rock bommie, about 5 m tall, near the kayak buoy.

About Coral Bay: the town is a small resort settlement on Bill's Bay at the southern end of the Ningaloo Coast, about 150 km south of Exmouth. The outer reef lies close to shore, so both lagoon snorkels and outer-reef dives are short boat rides away, and Coral Bay is home to Western Australia's largest resident population of reef manta rays, seen year-round. Much of the water around town lies within the Maud Sanctuary Zone, where fishing and collecting are prohibited. Advanced divers favour the 'cuts', where open-ocean water funnels through gaps in the reef and brings in sharks, mantas and pelagics, while the calm lagoon suits training and beginners. The 2025 marine heatwave affected northern and central Ningaloo most; southern areas including Coral Bay sustained less damage, according to AIMS.

Planning notes: this is primarily a snorkelling site. Expect to spend most of the dive around 2 m, with a maximum of about 4 m. It is a shore-access site that can be visited independently when conditions suit. Best season: Year-round (mantas year-round; whale sharks March–July; humpbacks July–October). Traffic: popular (weekly charters).

From Coral Bay main beach walk west towards the cliffs and wade around them to Paradise Beach. Enter at the southern point and drift north along the reef; at the cliffs, swim back into Bill's Bay. Allow 1–2 hours for the full 1.8 km.

Coral Bay is 150 km south of Exmouth via the Minilya–Exmouth Road; the town is compact and everything is walkable from the caravan parks and resort. Gear hire is available in town.

Coral Bay's lagoon is protected by the outer reef and faces north-west, so it stays calm in the prevailing south to south-westerly winds that close exposed coasts; the outer-reef and passage sites, however, need low swell and light winds. The afternoon south-westerly sea breeze (often 15–25 knots in spring and summer) chops up the outer sites, so dives run in the morning. Tidal flow through the passages can be strong on springs.

Visibility is usually 10–20 m, lower after the March coral spawn (in March 2022 a spawn-related low-oxygen event killed fish and coral in Bill's Bay). Cyclone season November–April; stingers possible in warm months.

Snorkel site. Enter at the southern point, drift north over the reef in 1–4 m, detour to the Ayers Rock bommie if a strong swimmer, and swim back into Bill's Bay at the cliffs.

Independent shore snorkel.