Muiron Islands
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
The Muirons sit just north of the cape and feel like Ningaloo's uncrowded annex. Their trademark is soft coral in quantity unusual for the region, purple and orange gardens packed into surge gutters and draped over ledges, threaded by turtles on their way to nesting beaches. Gutters open onto sandy arenas where mantas sometimes wheel through, cod and sweetlips hold court under overhangs, and macro life salts every wall. The islands also matter above the waterline as significant turtle rookeries, which shapes the mooring rules and the seasonal care operators take around them.
The moment you come for: Soft-coral gutters, turtle traffic, manta flybys, few other boats
Topography: Soft-coral gutters, ledges, and coral heads around a pair of low islands
Current: Gentle drifts along the gutters are common; nothing athletic on a normal day.
Entry: A longer boat day northeast of the cape; crossings depend on wind and are sometimes swapped for Lighthouse Bay.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Open-water crossing and surge in the gutters on swell days.
Conservation: Important turtle rookery islands within the marine management area; moorings and approach rules apply.
Who you'll meet
Green Sea Turtle
Nudibranchs
Reef Manta Ray
Whitetip Reef Shark
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★★★☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting