Piccaninnie Ponds descends for more than 60 metres in water so clear it becomes virtually invisible. Divers compare the sensation to floating on air. Wrecks and sea caves dot Western Australia's long coast, which offers some of the world's most pristine coral reefs. Ningaloo Marine Park in the north is so far from civilisation, only the keen and adventurous travel there. The marine park covers an area of 4000 square kilometres, with 220 species of coral and 500 species of fish.
Marine life includes dugongs, rare starfish, turtles and whale sharks.
Best access is from Exmouth or Coral Bay, about 1200 kilometres north of Perth. Australia is an environmentally aware country and recent years have seen significant growth in the number of nature trails developed underwater. Trails are marked with plaques that describe marine growth and fish in the area. Most of the trails are in easily accessed areas and some can be followed by snorkellers. On the Great Barrier Reef, Quicksilver Cruises has developed a trail at Agincourt Reef off Port Douglas.