Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Ranger's Bommies
Ningaloo – Exmouth, Western Australia · near Exmouth
| Depth | 3–8 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Live drop or sand anchor from private/hire boat, or sea kayak |
| Current | Variable/Tidal |
| Visibility | 5-15 m |
| Water | summer 26-29 °C, winter 20-23 °C |
| Suit | Rash vest or 3 mm shorty in summer; 3 mm full suit in winter |
| Best season | April–November (mantas more active); calm days under 10 knots |
| Bottom time | 60 min |
| Position | -21.99000, 113.93500 (approximate) |
| Permit | Ningaloo Marine Park – check zoning (may lie within a sanctuary zone) |
| Nearest chamber | Fiona Stanley Hospital (Perth) – evacuation via RFDS from Learmonth/Exmouth |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Ranger's Bommies
Also known as Rangers Bommies, Rangers Reef
Healthy Porites bommies with stingrays wedged underneath and leopard sharks on the sand.
Near Exmouth · Ningaloo – Exmouth, Western Australia
- Depth
- 3–8 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~15 min
- Water
- 26-29 °C
- Visibility
- 5-15 m
Ranger's Bommies3–8 m · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November.
April–November (mantas more active); calm days under 10 knots
- Best months
- Now (November)
- Stinger suit Nov–May
Dive facts
- Depth
- 3–8 m
- Typical depth
- 6 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 1.5 km
- Dive centre needed
- Recommended
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~15 min
- Current
- Variable/Tidal
- Visibility
- 5-15 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 26-29 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 20-23 °C
- Water
- Tropical
- Bottom time
- 60 min
- Dive traffic
- Moderate (occasional charters/club dives)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- Yes
Exposure suit
Rash vest or 3 mm shorty in summer; 3 mm full suit in winter
Location
Cape Range National Park lagoon (Milyering)
-21.99000, 113.93500
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: snorkelspots.comMarine park & permits
Ningaloo Marine Park – check zoning (may lie within a sanctuary zone)
Nearest recompression chamber
Fiona Stanley Hospital (Perth) – evacuation via RFDS from Learmonth/Exmouth
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Ranger's Bommies →
A day-by-day plan for Ningaloo – Exmouth with this site locked in.
This guide is a planning aid. Conditions change daily — confirm with a local dive centre and dive within your training. Data & safety notes.
Dive profile
How this site rates
Scores are computed from the recorded data, not opinions. How?
At a glance
Ranger's Bommies is a pinnacle / bommie boat dive in Ningaloo – Exmouth, WA, 3–8 m, suited to Open Water divers, variable/tidal current, about 15 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of tidal current that must be timed, boat traffic overhead.
Why dive here
- Healthy Porites bommies with stingrays wedged underneath and leopard sharks on the sand.
- Snorkel-friendly, so non-diving companions can join at the surface.
Conditions to avoid
- Cyclone season (roughly December–April)
- Stinger season without a full suit (November–May)
About Ranger's Bommies
Ranger's Bommies is a group of healthy Porites coral bommies inside the Ningaloo lagoon, opposite the Cape Range National Park ranger station and entry area. Scuba Diving magazine ranked it among the five best dives on Ningaloo, noting that its shallow depth — about 6–9 m — belies rich biodiversity.
The bommies are large, rounded coral heads on a sand floor. Stingrays wedge themselves under the overhanging edges, and the list of rays is long: cowtail, marbled, Jenkins whiprays and honeycomb whiprays. Leopard sharks, lemon sharks, shovelnose guitarfish and wedgefish rest on the sand, and green turtles, reef sharks, octopus, giant clams, clownfish, pufferfish and schools of bream and parrotfish round out a dense scene. Manta rays pass through, and larger sharks — tiger and hammerhead — are occasionally reported.
The northern side sits around 4 m and the southern drop-off around 8 m, so the site works well for snorkellers and scuba divers together. There are no moorings; anchor only on sand. Access requires a private or hire boat from Tantabiddi or an equipped sea kayak, and conditions need to be calm with little tidal movement.
It suits Open Water divers and competent snorkellers who want a quieter lagoon site with a strong chance of rays and sharks.
Planning a Cape Range day: the national park's lagoon sites stretch about 50 km along Yardie Creek Road from Tantabiddi to Osprey and Sandy Bay, all within the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast. The reef crest sits a few hundred metres to a couple of kilometres offshore, enclosing a lagoon of sand, seagrass and coral bommies, and a series of sanctuary zones (look but don't take) protect the best-known snorkel areas. There are no shops, fuel or air fills in the park, so bring water, food, sun protection and reef shoes from Exmouth. The Milyering Discovery Centre has current information on conditions and zones. Mornings are usually calmer, clearer and cooler than afternoons, and checking the tide chart is essential for the shallower sites.
Getting there & entry
Porites coral bommies in the Ningaloo lagoon about 1.5 km offshore from the Cape Range National Park entry station area, reached by boat or sea kayak.
Launch at Tantabiddi boat ramp (about 35 km from Exmouth, sealed) and run south inside the lagoon to the bommies off the national park pay station area. There are no moorings, so anchor on sand only, well away from coral. Experienced sea kayakers can paddle about 1.5 km west from the beach near the national park pay station in calm conditions.
Some liveaboards and tour boats also visit.
Entry: Live drop or sand anchor from private/hire boat, or sea kayak
Facilities: Tantabiddi boat ramp: toilets, parking; Cape Range National Park entry fee.
Weather, swell & tides
Inside the lagoon, but exposed to wind chop and to currents driven by swell over the reef crest and by tide. Best with winds under 10 knots and small tidal movement. Afternoon south-westerly sea breezes make kayak access dangerous.
Stingers occur in autumn. Cyclone season November–April. Visibility inside the lagoon is usually 5–15 m and drops after strong winds; manta rays are more active from April to November.
Best season: April–November (mantas more active); calm days under 10 knots
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Ranger's Bommies doesn't.
- Lakeside Sanctuary Zone · 5 km · Max 5 m
- Tantabiddi Sanctuary Zone (Staghorns & The Bombies) · 10 km · Max 3.5 m
- Turquoise Bay Drift Snorkel · 12 km · Max 5 m
- South Mandu · 15 km · Max 4 m
How the dive is usually run
Anchor on sand beside the bommies, descend to 6–8 m on the southern drop-off side and circle each bommie slowly, looking under the edges for wedged stingrays and resting sharks. Move to the shallower northern side (about 4 m) to finish, with a safety stop near the anchor line.
Marine life
- Cowtail
- marbled
- Jenkins and honeycomb whiprays
- leopard sharks →
- lemon sharks
- shovelnose guitarfish
- wedgefish
- reef sharks →
- green turtles →
- manta rays →
- octopus →
- giant clams
- clownfish
- pufferfish
- bream and parrotfish schools; occasional tiger and hammerhead sharks →
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Shallow enough for snorkellers and for a first dive under supervision. Any certified diver can dive it.
Depth tiers: 0–10 m easy · to 18 m Open Water · 18–30 m Advanced (25 m+ is a deep dive) · 30–40 m Deep specialty · 40 m+ technical. All courses
Hazards & warnings
No moorings – anchor on sand only; boat traffic; wind chop and currents; kayak access only in calm conditions; stingers in autumn.
Dive centres that go here
No scheduled dive operator; visited by private and hire boats from Tantabiddi, occasional liveaboards and snorkel tours.
Other dive centres in Ningaloo – Exmouth
Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo
ListedExmouth · Ningaloo – Exmouth · WA
An Exmouth operation running certified scuba diving alongside whale shark and other wildlife tours. The scuba and snorkelling products are distinct and should be booked deliberately.
exmouthdiving.com.au · (08) 9949 1201
Dive Ningaloo
ListedExmouth · Ningaloo – Exmouth · WA
An Exmouth operation focused on certified scuba diving, including Navy Pier access.
diveningaloo.com.au · 0456 702 437
Ningaloo Reef Dive
ListedCoral Bay · Ningaloo – Coral Bay · WA
A Ningaloo operation based at Coral Bay providing reef diving and training.
ningalooreefdive.com · 0461 289 998
Sail Ningaloo
ListedCoral Bay · Ningaloo – Coral Bay · WA
A multi-day sailing and diving operation on Ningaloo Reef, offering a liveaboard-style format.
sailningaloo.com.au · 1800 197 194
Ningaloo Blue Dive
ListedExmouth · Ningaloo – Exmouth · WA
An Exmouth operation running diving alongside wildlife tours. Product categories should be checked before booking.
ningalooblue.com.au · (08) 9949 1119
Ningaloo Whaleshark Swim
Named by sitesExmouth · Ningaloo – Exmouth · WA
Whale shark swim tours; also offers Exmouth diving.
ningaloowhalesharks.com · 0497 005 692
All dive centres in Western Australia →
Operators mentioned: Boat hire in Exmouth; Exmouth dive shops
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Ranger's Bommies: frequently asked questions
How deep is Ranger's Bommies?
Ranger's Bommies reaches a maximum depth of 8 m, with the shallowest part at about 3 m; most of the dive is spent around 6 m.
What certification do I need to dive Ranger's Bommies?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate because of tidal current that must be timed, boat traffic overhead.
Can I shore dive Ranger's Bommies?
No, it is reached by boat (about 15 minutes).
When is the best time to dive Ranger's Bommies?
April–November (mantas more active); calm days under 10 knots.
What marine life will I see at Ranger's Bommies?
Regularly recorded: Cowtail, marbled, Jenkins and honeycomb whiprays, leopard sharks, lemon sharks, shovelnose guitarfish, wedgefish, reef sharks, green turtles, manta rays, octopus, giant clams and more.
What wetsuit do I need at Ranger's Bommies?
Rash vest or 3 mm shorty in summer; 3 mm full suit in winter.
How cold is the water at Ranger's Bommies?
Typically 26-29 °C in summer and 20-23 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Ranger's Bommies?
No moorings – anchor on sand only; boat traffic; wind chop and currents; kayak access only in calm conditions; stingers in autumn. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Ranger's Bommies?
Fiona Stanley Hospital (Perth) – evacuation via RFDS from Learmonth/Exmouth. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Ningaloo – Exmouth
Exmouth is the base for Ningaloo's headline experiences: whale shark swims from March to July, humpback swims from August to October, and the Navy Pier, a working naval jetty with more fish per square metre than almost any site in Australia. The westside reef (Lighthouse Bay, Blizzard Ridge, the Labyrinth) and the Muiron Islands have coral, grey nurse sharks and mantas.
Getting there: Fly to Learmonth (Exmouth) or drive 13 hours from Perth. Several operators run boat dives and the wildlife swims; the Navy Pier is dived only with the licensed operator.
All Ningaloo – Exmouth dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
- snorkelspots.com/rangers-reef-snorkel
- scubadiving.com/five-incredible-dives-on-ningaloo-reef-australias-overlooked-treasure
Data confidence: Medium · Being verified: Coordinates; zoning.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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