Well we made it! We made it all the way up the coast from Fremantle to Coral Bay and arrived in mid March. Amazing weather greeted us as we departed Fremantle, too good in fact that we didn’t even have enough wind to sail at times. We even managed to polish nearly all the stainless steel on the boat, its never ending but it sure does help when the sun is shining, a cool breeze is blowing and the seas are calm and blue blue blue. Is there a better place in the world than the open ocean on such days?
No sooner had we arrived in Coral Bay and we were off again. Venturing out to explore with some friends who were up for a bit of adventure. Covering all the ground between Pelican Point to the south of Coral Bay, and Norwegian Bay to the north, over 90 nautical miles in all by the time we returned after 5 days.
Some great times were had with numerous highlights such as baitballs in Bateman Bay being rounded up into tighter and tighter balls by numerous species of fish and then sent into a frenzy by rampaging reef sharks. This was made even more special when our English friend, Matt, caught his first ever fish! A Yellowfin Tuna no less, not bad for a beginner.
Forays onto dry land saw us discover a turtle graveyard. An area where numerous skeletons of turtles can be seen in what can only be described as a luna landscape!
An early morning kayak discovered what has been nick named “Turtle Alley”, with more large green turtles than seen anywhere else on our adventures to date. Turtle nesting season was over by this time so these guys (and most of them were males!) must hang out in this area regularly, enjoying the plentiful food source and close access to the Ningaloo & Leeuwin currents located just offshore.
Norwegia
n Bay whaling station looks sure to be a favourite with the well and truly abandoned and run down station, one of the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere during its main years of operation in the early 1900’s, just oozing history and mystque from a time gone by.
Exploration underwater had new dive & snorkel sites springing up all over the place. Everyone’s favourite site would have to be what Luke knicknamed “The Fishbowl”. So named because of the immense number of different fish species located in one small area, not to mention the reef sharks and turtles also found there!
“Where is it ?” you may ask, well you’ll just have to come out on Shore Thing one day to find out for yourself !
And finally, we witnessed some of the most spectacular sunsets imaginable and all with no one else in sight, one of the main reasons the Ningaloo Reef is so special.
There is always something happening on the reef and there are no crowds to spoil the experience. Nature at its best!
