Normal text size Very large text size The lighthouse at Vlamingh Head, Exmouth, is one of the few places in Australia you can see the sun both rise and set over the sea. To the west is Ningaloo, the world’s largest fringing reef, meaning you can swim to it straight off the white sandy beach, unlike the Great Barrier Reef. To the east of the North West Cape peninsula is the Exmouth Gulf, an important ecosystem for fish and dugongs, but one that lacks the World Heritage listing protection of the reef. A snorkeller swims alongside a whale shark near Exmouth.