Wildlife in Western Australia: our top 12 experiences

If you’re looking to book an Australian safari, then Western Australia ticks every box – here are our favourites creatures that you can spot on a road trip through this beautiful state!

1. Quokkas

The cute quokkas of Rottnest Island are famous for being the happiest animals in the world! Their adorable little smiles and love of the camera make a visit to Rottnest Island such a treat. It’s easy to spot quokkas almost immediately when you get off the boat, as many of them lurk around the visitor centre waiting to greet the arrivals each morning. However, if you hire a bike and explore further around the island, you’ll find them all over the place. We cycled around to Little Parakeet Bay, eating a picnic on the deserted beach where a couple of quokkas popped up at the end of the beach having a hop around on the sand. They are particularly active in the early morning and early evening, so if you are staying overnight on Rottnest, you should get some fantastic sightings.

2. Whale sharks

Heading out from Exmouth to swim with whale sharks is one of Western Australia’s most iconic experiences. You’ll hop on a boat and head out beyond the reef to spot these giants of the deep. These majestic creatures are huge, often over 7 metres long, and so gentle. Watching them serenely glide past is incredible and not at all scary – while the whale sharks are enormous, they are very relaxed and not dangerous. If you are lucky you’ll hopefully be able to swim with several whale sharks during the day, each time is better than the last as you feel more comfortable in the water and it starts to sink in that you are really swimming with wild whale sharks. It was one of the best wildlife encounters of my life – a truly once-in-a-lifetime day.

3. Dolphins

With a coastline as long as Western Australia’s, you’ll be sure to see some dolphins on any trip to this state. If you’re heading north, then the friendly dolphins of Monkey Mia are a must-visit. Each morning there are 3 feeding sessions where everyone in the resort comes down to the beach to watch the wild dolphins snap up the 3 fish they are allowed daily. They are almost guaranteed to be there during the feeding sessions, but they often hang around during the rest of the day. We headed to straight to the beach and there were already 3 dolphins darting around in the shallows. Later we went paddle boarding and they started following us around, popping up around us to say hello – just incredible!

4. Dugongs

Rare and elusive, dugongs or ‘sea-cows’ lurk in the clear waters of Shark Bay. Already a remote location, these creatures tuck themselves into the crevices of this enormous area and although there are 10,000 in the waters of Shark Bay, which is 10% of the world population, they are still hard to spot. They are visible all year round but easier to find between September and November – take a wildlife cruise from Denham or Monkey Mia and you might just get lucky!

5. Whales

Whale-watching is popular all over Australia but WA is particularly good if you are looking for a whale encounter. Head south to Bremer Bay between January and April and you’ll find a congregation of orcas (killer whales) that gather here to feed. Known as ‘The Patch’ - this massive feeding ground attracts pilot whales, sperm whales and thousands of birds. Spotting whales in this incredible location is sure to be a highlight of your trip.

If you’d like the opportunity to swim with humpback whales, then head north to the Ningaloo Reef. From Exmouth, there are opportunities to jump into the water and snorkel alongside the gentle giants, especially between August and November when huge pods of humpbacks migrates along the Western Australian coastline. If you’d like to add a whale swim to your holiday, just ask.

6. Wallabies

Wallabies are like smaller and cuter versions of kangaroos – at least that’s what I think! In Cape Range National Park, near Exmouth, the coastal saltbushes and short eucalyptus trees that overlook the Ningaloo Reef are full of wildlife. You might spot a flit of bright blue from a White-Winged fairywren or a flash of pink from a flock of galahs but you should also be on the lookout for Black-footed Rock-wallabies. Living among the caves and cliffsides of Cape Range, these rare creatures hop between rocks, constantly looking about for danger and blending in perfectly with the soft pink and orange rock.

If you fly over to the Abrohlos Islands from Kalbarri or Geraldton, to spend the day exploring the national park, you’ll find the gorgeous Tammar wallabies that live on the ‘Wallabi Islands’. They are very shy but you’ll spot them hopping between the bushes and shrubs, peeping out at you as you hike across the brush landscape.

7. ​Camels

Walking up to the iconic Cable Beach in Broome at sunset, the first thing you’ll see is a long line of camels, strolling along the sand under the pink and orange sky. Camels are found all over Australia, but the long lines of these unusual creatures that wander along the beach in Broome are one of the best places to see them. They are led along the beach by handlers who have worked with camels for decades, dedicated to their care and protection. We can book you a ride – being part of the striking silhouette against the sunset each evening is an unforgettable end to a trip to Broome.  

8. Manta rays

Swimming with manta rays is a very special experience and one you can enjoy all year round in Coral Bay. This tiny place clings to the coast of WA, a little south of Exmouth. Jump into the water and just a few metres offshore you’ll be amongst clouds of colourful fish and coral – welcome to the Ningaloo Reef. This is a fringing reef, which means it’s so easy to access, just swimming right out into the water. The mantas thrive in slightly deeper water, so it’s best to join a tour that will take you to the best spots – on my trip I saw at least 5 manta rays. Some were swimming leisurely above the coral while others were doing barrel rolls in the cleaning station surrounded by flickering fish. It’s an amazing experience – we can add this into your trip to Western Australia, just ask!

9. Kangaroos

The most iconic of Australian wildlife, you’ll find plenty of kangaroos in beautiful Western Australia. The most famous are the lounging kangaroos of Lucky Bay, the pristine arc of sand found in Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance. These relaxed roos are often found lying on the sand, gazing out on the turquoise waters, or else hopping along the sand enjoying the sunshine. It’s such a remote place and the journey down to Esperance can be a long one but when you see those kangaroos on the pure white sand, it’s worth the trip! If you don’t want to travel quite so far, the fields and forests of Margaret River and Pemberton are full of kangaroos. They like to snooze under the shade of the tingle trees or graze between the vines in the morning mist.

10. Penguins

Just 45 minutes south of Perth lies Penguin Island, a haven for the Little Penguins that make their home in the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park. It’s a great place to spend the day, either as a day trip from Perth or if you are staying nearby in Rockingham or Mandurah. There are lots of boardwalks and lookouts, where you watch the penguins going about their day. Spend the whole day here – you can enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach or head out for a snorkel, looking out for stingrays and dolphins in the turquoise water. The perfect day of cute penguins!

11. Numbats

These incredible animals are rare and hard to spot but if you head to the Dryandra Woodland National Park a few hours south of Perth, then you might just be lucky enough to spot one. This peaceful area is home to some of WA’s most vulnerable wildlife including numbats, quenda and brushtail wallabies. There are places to camp nearby if you have a campervan and book onto a nocturnal tour in the evening to Barna Mia, a fenced sanctuary where you can see the wildlife on a guided walk as dusk settles. It’s a very special experience to see such wild and shy creatures in their natural habitat.

12. Road trip wildlife

Western Australia has loads of other wildlife scurrying about but you’ve got to keep your eyes peeled to see it! On my road trip between Perth and Broome, we saw so many creatures as we made our way north – including an incredible experience with an echidna near Shell Beach. It scuttled across the road in front of us – we screeched our campervan to a halt and headed after it to see if we could get a good view. We soon found him nestled in a little patch of grass – it was completely magical. Look out for thorny devils on hikes in Shark Bay and Cape Range – these incredible little creatures can be found basking in the sun in the early mornings.  

13. Koalas (bonus!)

While there are no wild koalas in WA, a trip to Australia always needs a little koala time, I think! The brilliant Caversham Wildlife Park just outside Perth is the perfect place to meet these lovely creatures, in such a friendly and interactive environment. I’ve visited twice, and both times the koalas were really active, chomping away on eucalyptus leaves and just being their cute selves. There are so many other animals to see here, so if you missed out anything during your trip, you’ll likely be able to find it here!

Looking to book a wildlife holiday to Australia?

If you’d like to book a wildlife holiday to Western Australia, we can help! Whether you want to swim with whale sharks and manta rays on the Ningaloo Reef or road trip along the coast to see the kangaroos on the beaches of Lucky Bay, we can organise any Australia holiday. We can help you plan the perfect trip to Australia including flights, tailor-made holidays and trip ideas. To discuss your plans or to book your trip – contact one of our Australia specialists on 1273 320 580 or email for a quote.