The beach and the sanctuary zone
Bills Bay is a bay at Coral Bay. The park agency lists it as a place for shore snorkelling, and Paradise Beach to the south as another spot for swimming and a day on the sand. The Ningaloo Marine Park has no entry fee. Tours and camping are charged separately, and the agency's page shows no separate beach reservation.
The bay lies in the Maud Sanctuary Zone. That one fact decides most of the rules below, for fishing, for boats and for how you behave in the water.
What the zones mean
Know which zone you are standing in before you cast a line.
| Area | Fishing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maud Sanctuary Zone | Not allowed, no taking of fish | Sanctuary zones are closed to fishing and collecting |
| Shore-based activities zone south of Bills Bay along Paradise Beach | Shore fishing for finfish only | A special purpose zone, an exception inside the park |
| Rest of the marine park | Depends on the zone | A marine park is not a blanket fishing permit |
Do not read this as "fishing is banned everywhere in the marine park". Zone boundaries decide, so use the map and the local signs. The same goes for the opposite case: a marine park is no general permit to fish.
Reef and beach tours from Coral Bay
Boat trips, snorkel cruises and wildlife tours, with live prices and availability.
Snorkelling and swimming at Bills Bay
What the sources say, and what they do not.
Shore snorkelling
You can snorkel from the beach at Bills Bay and at Paradise Beach. Farther spots such as Five Finger Reef and Oyster Bridge are reached on 4WD tracks. See snorkelling in Coral Bay for those.
Currents
A local operator's FAQ describes stronger currents when wind or swell is up, and advises you to stay within your own ability. The bay is not free of current at all times.
Swimming near the boat ramp
Swimming and snorkelling are prohibited in the area of the boat launching facility at the southern end of Paradise Beach. The official boating guide marks it "Swimming Prohibited". This is a local ban. It is not a general ban in Bills Bay.
Protect the coral
Do not stand on coral, touch it or break it off. Check your fins. A local operator recommends sunscreen it calls reef safe, which is a request and not a legal product rule.
Boats and the marked channel
Where the boats go.
Boats are launched at the boating facility. From there, use the marked channel to the north. Do not cut across shallow coral flats. As a swimmer, keep clear of boats and moorings.
The boating guide describes an Authorised Vessels Only Area, which needs a permit. Its northern and southern edges are marked by land signs, and the southern edge in the water by buoys. A Restricted Area has a limit of 5 knots. Navigation and sanctuary markers are not mooring buoys, so do not tie up to them.
The distance from the town to the boat ramp is given as about 2.5 km south by the park agency and about 1.5 km by a local operator. The two figures may start from different points, so use the map on the day.
The state of the reef
Be careful with promises.
The Australian Institute of Marine Science documented serious heat damage to parts of Ningaloo in 2025. The northern and central reef were hit harder, the southern reef less. That gives no reliable picture of Bills Bay in 2026. Expect that conditions vary, and do not count on a particular view.
No source shows a general swimming ban in Bills Bay. That does not replace a current warning. Check the park agency's alerts and the shark safety warnings before you swim. The Cape Range beaches on the Exmouth side have their own guide at Ningaloo.
Kayaks and the sanctuary buoys
Getting out on the water.
The kayak trail
The Coral Bay Kayak Trail has 4 mooring buoys inside the Maud Sanctuary Zone. They lie between 300 m and 1.8 km from the shore.
Read the distances correctly
Those figures are distances to the buoys, not walking or swimming distances. Swimming out to the farthest buoy is a different matter from paddling there.
Check before you go
The park agency's alerts page, the shark safety site and the state road map are the places to look for changing notices. They cover warnings that no guide can keep current.
Plan the rest of your trip
Where to go from the beach.
Bills Bay: frequently asked questions
Is there an entry fee at Bills Bay?
No. Entry to the Ningaloo Marine Park is free. Tours and camping are charged separately.
Can I fish at Bills Bay?
Not in the Maud Sanctuary Zone, which is closed to fishing and taking. Along Paradise Beach to the south there is a zone that allows shore fishing for finfish only. Check the map and signs for the zone you are in.
Is swimming banned at Bills Bay?
No general ban is shown. Swimming and snorkelling are prohibited near the boat launching facility at the southern end of Paradise Beach.
Can I snorkel from the beach?
Yes, at Bills Bay and Paradise Beach according to the park agency. Watch the currents when wind or swell is up.
Is the reef at Bills Bay healthy?
There is no current measurement for this spot. Parts of Ningaloo were damaged by heat in 2025, the south less than the north. Expect variation.