| Coral Bay Western Australia |
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Coral Bay |
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Coral Bay
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| Population: | 190 (2006 Census) [1] |
| Postcode: | 6701 |
| Elevation: | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Shire of Carnarvon |
| State District: | North West |
| Federal Division: | Durack |
Coral Bay is a small town on the coast of Western Australia, 1,200 km north of Perth. It exists primarily for tourism, with a side industry of fishing. The electricity for the town is provided by a wind-diesel hybrid system.
The Ningaloo Reef is a popular diving and snorkelling site with a large variety of coral and fish life and is one of the best places to see whale sharks and manta rays. The migration of the humpback whales is also viewable from June to October.
The first Europeans to visit the area were the crew of the schooner Maud that landed in 1884. By 1896 a townsite reserve was gazetted to preserve the local jetty and storage facility. In 1915 the town was officially named "Mauds Landing". The town played a pivotal role to the development of the North West region acting as a supply depot for ingoing and outgoing goods.[2] Coral Bay was formally settled much later in 1968 and was named after a hotel that had been established in the area.[3]