August 1st - 9th, 2025
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Embark on an enriching journey into the depths of Ningaloo Reef in 2025. Join Brooke Pyke for an exclusive and intimate ocean photography safari, where we'll seek out Western Australia's most incredible marine life encounters. Explore the UNESCO-listed Ningaloo Reef and learn the art of capturing its renowned marine in habitants. This week-long photography experience aims to showcase the diverse marine life and the beauty of Ningaloo's healthy reef systems while connecting us with something bigger than ourselves. Open your eyes to a new world and using photography as a creative medium we will gain a deeper understanding of our relationship with the ocean.
Brooke is a Exmouth local and this trip has been created with love to show you the absolute best of the Ningaloo. You'll experience 2 full days on a private charter looking for whale sharks and other megafauna. This includes a dedicated aerial spotter! Following that you'll experience two days on a private charter in the famous Coral Bay searching for Mantas and other megafauna. This season you'll also spend a night near Coral Bay sleeping under the stars on a cultural camping experience. If that's not enough we have a private chef cooking all your meals and a full day freediving experience. If you follow Brooke or have followed her work you'll understand how special this trip will be.
Limited to a small, exclusive group of only 8 guests, to ensure an intimate setting for each participant. Secure your place today for an unforgettable venture into the depths of the Ningaloo reef.
Explore the world with an award-winning underwater photographer, and immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of the ocean. Brooke's lens has not only captured the untamed beauty of destinations like Ningaloo Reef but also earned her international acclaim, including a prestigious photography award in 2022. Her journey from being captivated by the ocean's power to mastering its portrayal is a testament to her skill and dedication.
Brooke's trips offer more than just sightseeing; they are an immersive journey into the art of marine photography and conservation. With her, you'll explore stunning underwater realms, learning to capture their beauty through her expert guidance. Brooke's unique approach to photography, self-taught and honed in some of the world's most stunning underwater locations, transforms each dive into an unforgettable experience.
Her passion for the ocean extends beyond photography to a deep commitment to marine conservation. Traveling with Brooke means engaging in sustainable exploration and contributing to the preservation of marine ecosystems. Her work, showcased in magazines like Oceanographic Mag and EzDive, not only highlights marine biodiversity but also advocates for its protection. With Brooke, every trip is a step into a world of discovery, respect, and a shared commitment to protecting our oceans.
Welcome to Exmouth and the Ningaloo!
Arrive and check in at our Exmouth marina villa.
Settle in with welcome drinks and snacks, meet your trip hosts and fellow guests, and enjoy an introduction to the Ningaloo Reef and its local history.
The evening concludes with a relaxed BBQ dinner to celebrate the start of your adventure.
Freediving Fundamentals workshop
Start the day with breakfast.
Whether you’re new to freediving or already certified, this full-day workshop offers the chance to learn new skills or build on existing ones. The morning session covers freediving theory, including physiology, diaphragmatic breathing, static breath-hold practice, safety, and essential freediving principles.
After lunch, we’ll move to the local pool with Kyra, our experienced instructor from Salty Hearts Freediving School. You’ll learn the core techniques for diving on a single breath: static and dynamic apnea, streamlining, finning, duck diving, in-water safety and rescues, and freediving with a camera. This session will help you deepen your connection with the water and ensure you feel confident and safe for the week ahead.
Introduction to Photography
Start the day with breakfast.
Brooke will host an in-depth photography workshop teaching the fundamentals of the art, camera settings and creative techniques. You’ll receive guidance on setting up your camera and have the chance to ask questions.
The afternoon is free for you to rest, explore, or prepare for the adventures ahead.
6PM EVENING EVENT
Marine Life Presentation by a local marine biologist.
Megafauna Charters
Start the day with breakfast.
We’ll board Latitude 22 and begin our charter with crew introductions, a safety briefing, and a boat orientation.
Morning tea, snacks, and hot drinks will be served as we cruise toward our first reef snorkel. Expect to see stingrays, turtles, reef sharks, and vibrant coral bommies teeming with fish. A perfect opportunity to warm up your camera skills with Brooke nearby for guidance and feedback.
Next, we’ll enjoy light snacks and hot drinks as we depart the Exmouth Gulf and head toward the outer reef. Meanwhile, our spotter pilot will begin searching for the first marine megafauna to swim with. Possible encounters include whale sharks, manta rays, or humpback whales, to name a few. The species we find will depend on which animals are visiting the reef that day. Our focus will be on locating megafauna that we can swim with and photograph. But be prepared for anything, this is Ningaloo Reef, and nature has a way of surprising us with incredible encounters.
Once marine megafauna are spotted, we’ll brief you on in-water interactions. This will include our protocols and local laws. The specifics of this portion of the tour vary each day, depending on conditions and the wildlife we encounter.
At midday, we’ll enjoy a delicious lunch as we return to the inner lagoon for the day’s final activities. Depending on conditions, we may finish the trip with another reef snorkel or a lagoon cruise to look for dugongs and other marine mammals to photograph from the boat. We return to Exmouth Marina between 2:00 and 3:00 PM, with drop-off at your accommodation shortly after.
EVENING EVENT -DAY 4, 6.00PM
Photo review and feedback session with Brooke.
Coral Bay & Outback Camping
After breakfast we’ll depart Exmouth early and drive 1.5 hours south to the small coastal town of Coral Bay. There, we’ll board Wirraji, Western Australia’s first fully electric vessel, and explore the southern end of the Ningaloo Reef. With our spotter pilot searching overhead, we’ll look for resident manta rays, loggerhead turtles, and dense healthy reef systems, and any other surprises the reef offers.
After a full day on the water, Wirraji will bring us to the shores of Cardabia Station, where our hosts welcome us ashore. Our camp will be set up, ready for a night under the stars. As the sun sets, traditional owner Hazel Walgar will share local stories and cultural history of the Nyinggulu people. Soak up the views and Dreamtime stories as the sun sets on another day in this ancient wilderness landscape.
As night falls, we’ll gather around the fire with our hosts and crew to share dinner, reflect on the incredible days behind us, and marvel at the night sky above. You’ll have a chance to photograph the Milky Way before heading to your cosy swag for a peaceful night’s sleep by the shore.
After a good night’s rest, we enjoy breakfast before heading back out for our final day on the water, exploring new areas of the Ningaloo coast in Coral bay. In the afternoon, we’ll journey back to our villa in Exmouth for a relaxing evening and a well-earned rest.
Things to note: Cardabia Station is fully equipped with showers, toilets, and electricity for charging electronics. Camping is in traditional Australian canvas swags. For this overnight trip, we’ll pack only essentials and leave all other belongings safely at the Exmouth villa.
Full Photo Editing
Start the day with breakfast.
Join Brooke for an immersive, hands-on photo editing workshop designed to elevate your images. Select a few of your favourite shots from the trip and dive into Adobe Lightroom Classic, where she’ll guide you step-by-step through essential tools, creative adjustments, and subtle techniques to bring out the best in every image.
Each participant will also enjoy a 1-on-1 feedback session, where Brooke will review your work, offer personalised advice, and answer any questions about photography or editing.
6PM EVENING EVENT
Farewell dinner to celebrate a week of unforgettable adventures and new friendships.
All good things must come to an end
Start the day with breakfast.
10AM checkout and farewells
It’s hard to say goodbye after a week like this. Please make sure the villa is left tidy and all your treasures (and camera gear!) are packed. Departures from Exmouth are scheduled after 10:00 AM.
We hope you take home lasting memories, stunning photos, and the kind of salt-soaked joy that only Ningaloo can give.
“The best way to observe a fish is to become a fish, and Ningaloo is the perfect place to do that.”
Optional Extras:
POSSIBILITIES OF IN WATER INTERACTIONS
WHAT WE MIGHT SEE FROM THE BOAT
Please note: the marine life listed above is not guaranteed but it’s what we might have the possibility to encounter.
Nope, that’s actually the beauty of this tour. What we can guarantee is you’ll have the best possible tour we can muster (e.g. we still use spotter planes, we limit the guest count, etc.) and our best effort to secure you multiple swims with different species. The tour starts with what we believe is the best in-water experience for you and we’ll continue to search for additional mega fauna throughout the tour. We want to show you the best of the Ningaloo reef, in the way the locals appreciate seeing it. Every day on the reef is wonderful, but sometimes it’s extra special and this is the perfect tour for that experience.
This is a tour for people who want the ultimate Ningaloo adventure and are ready for a unique experience. The way we approach this tour is embracing what the Ningaloo Reef has on offer for that particular day. When the spotter plane goes up, they will be instructed to find us suitable mega fauna to swim with. There are never any guarantees when you’re dealing with nature but we make our best attempts to conduct exceptional in-water experiences. While we are swimming, the spotter plane continues to look for other mega fauna and communicates those options to the skipper to increase the chances of seeing more wildlife.
*For assistance in booking your flights or if you have any other inquiries, please get in touch and we can help.
Pack the camera gear you're most comfortable with! Whether you prefer DSLRs or a simple smartphone setup with a waterproof case, our Storyteller Guides are skilled in various underwater photography techniques. For those interested in diving deep into photo editing, we suggest bringing a laptop with Adobe Lightroom installed. If you have any specific questions or need advice on gear, feel free to reach out to us.
For our ocean adventures, a moderate level of fitness is ideal to fully enjoy water-based activities like swimming, snorkelling, or diving, often lasting several hours. Being comfortable in the ocean is essential. If you have concerns about your fitness level or abilities in the water, please don't hesitate to contact us for advice.
Airguides trips are small, shared adventures — usually with 6–12 guests, depending on the trip. You’ll be travelling with an inspiring Storyteller Guide, an Airguides Trip Leader, and a mix of like-minded people: solo travellers, couples, and friends from all over the world.
These trips tend to attract curious, open-minded people who care about nature, stories, and exploring with purpose. You don’t need to be an expert — just up for the experience.
Most trips are for guests aged 18+, but occasionally we welcome younger travellers if the trip is a good fit. For example, confident swimmers may be able to join in-water trips with prior approval. Just reach out if you're not sure!
Solo travellers can opt for a private room, which incurs a single-supplement fee. Please contact us for specific pricing details. Alternatively, we may offer a roommate pairing option on a limited, first-come, first-served basis. Reach out to us for availability and more information.
Certainly! If you need help finding the best flights or planning your travel routes, we're here to help. Just reach out to us, and our team will be more than happy to provide guidance and support.
We'd love to chat with you about this trip and answer any questions you have! Feel free to call, text or WhatsApp our friendly team at +61 402 552 918. You’ll be speaking with a real person from the Airguides team who knows this trip inside out. We’re here to help with any questions, big or small, and we’ll support you every step of the way — from planning your adventure to arriving back home.
“Thanking the stars I found Airguides and Jono's trip. We were totally taken care of! Paul answered all our questions and took care of the details so all we had to do was get there. Jono Allen is an amazing, talented photographer who created a special group experience. The WHALES were mind blowing. What a gift to be in Tonga staring into the eye of a baby whale! This trip was a lifelong dream come true. I highly recommend it so much we’ve already signed up again for next year!"
"The Airguides trip to Tonga to swim with humpback whales was the experience of a lifetime. I have traveled all over the world, and nothing compares to being in the wild, rustic, deep blue waters of the South Pacific while interacting with whales and their calves. A wonderful and caring team made our adventures stress free. Absolutely amazing, so much so, that I am doing it again this year! Thanks a million Paul, Jono, Al, Alistair, Christian and Polly!"
"Thank you for your help in putting together our trip to the Northern Territory. Everyone agreed that it was the best family holiday we'd ever had and - even better - everyone nominated something different as 'the best thing'."
"The trip with Airguides was magic. Paul was our kind and patient guide, Mark Fitz was our talented and positive photographer/storyteller. It was a perfect mix of activity and relaxation and I’m already planning my next Airguides trip."
"I recently visited Lady Musgrave Island with Airguides. They have a unique and meaningful approach to travel and travelling with and learning from a world-class photographer, who was on the trip, was incredible."
"I cannot say enough amazing things about Airguides and the amazing honeymoon they planned for us. We began our trip planning by being overwhelmed with travel blogs, not knowing what was actually the best plan for us."
“Just had an amazing trip to Heron Island organised by the Airguides team. Perfect balance of activity and relaxation, they made it so easy. Can't wait until I can do another trip!“
“ We recently organised our trip to Heron Island with Bibi and Paul as a last minute getaway. Seamlessly dealt with and an added bonus of having a world-class photographer/ free-diver as our story teller. The trip has only whet our appetite for more positive and relaxing experiences with the Airguides team- Awesome “