Special Place - Special Times

Special Place – Special Times
Once again we were out and about in June, Whale shark sightings around Coral Bay had started to drop off but they were replaced with Humpback Whales.

We headed out for 5 days with our guests Dennis & Fran and another first for Shore Thing as Fran celebrated her Birthday on Board, 21 again wasn’t it Fran ?!

Although the weather gods kept us on our toes, we still managed to tick all the boxes and create a few more to try and better in the future.

Manta Rays, Dugongs, Turtles and whales were all sighted on regular occurrence and were duly logged in the Shore Thing mega fauna sightings log.

This time we ran into a new friend, a Bottlenose Dolphin that was

cruising around the North Reef and Stanley Pool area all on his lonesome and decided to come and ride the bow wave of Shore Thing, not once but 2 days in a row, and on the second day he (or she) earned his nickname, Leapin Leroy, as Lannie captured this photo of him jumping clear out of the water. He did this about 5 times and had everyone on board cheering.

Needless to say there was some pretty epic snorkelling missions, with Dennis & Fran just as keen as the crew to get into the water and see what they could find.

One of the highlights would have to have been the sail back north towards Coral Bay. Having checked out a nice surf break and watch some talented surfers at play we went outside the reef under full sail to try our hand at catching the evening meal.





It must be said that it is pretty hard to get Dennis to share his excitement as on a couple of occasions he sighted a whale breaching, but failed to voice the obligatory scream of “BREACH!” to let everyone else know what was going on. Thankfully though after losing one good sized fish that he got right into the back of Shore Thing, on the second hook up, after a few minutes he filled us in on what was going on and John and Dennis managed to land a good sized Spanish Mackeral! Dennis had even brought his own Wasabi so there was no surprise what he had on his mind!

And so it was, another 5 days out exploring the Ningaloo Reef and still new things were found and no doubt there’ll be more soon.

Ultimate Ningaloo

Autumn was upon us but you’d barely realise it up at Ningaloo, although the nights started to cool down the days were still beckoning to be explored and made the most of, and that is what we did as we ventured out for our first full 9 day ultimate Ningaloo trip.

After a couple of days spent to the south of Coral Bay at one of our favourite spots, Sandy Point, we started heading north on the outside of the reef under full sail, the lines were out in an attempt to catch something for lunch and It didn’t take long before our guest John had landed a nice Yellow fin tuna. Sashimi and fresh tuna steaks for lunch it will be then!

It was a glorious evening for a sunset sail in Batemans Bay and what better way to enjoy it than with some tasty sunset snacks and some cool West Australian white wine.

After a brief respite and tidy up of the boat on Day 4, we were off again and this time heading North towards Norwegian Bay. As we passed through Batemans Bay we were not disappointed by the wildlife. Turtles, Dugongs, Dolphins and our favourite, the Manta Ray were spotted. David & Irene’s first ever Manta Ray was a large black female Manta, a few scars near her tail didn’t stop here as she cruised backwards and forwards line feeding at the surface.

On our journey North we stayed the night at the “Bungles”, a site Luke had nick named because of the all the large coral bommies that seemed to pop up everywhere. Irene hadn’t had the fishing line in for long before she had caught a decent sized Sand Snapper, not that great eating though so this one was thrown back to fight another day.

North we continued and we made it to Point Cloates, an area quite infamous for a number of Western Australia’s shipwrecks prior to modern navigational equipment. Shore Thing was safe and sound though, in a perfectly selected anchorage whilst the crew got some sand beneath there toes as they went ashore to check out the view from atop some of the dunes that lay at the foot of the historic Point Cloates lighthouse.

The next day saw us cruise into Norwegian Bay and explore the ruins of the whaling station. Our personal mission this time was to try and locate the head stone of 3 Norwegian Whalers that died around 1914. Unfortunately though it still evades us and has probably been covered by dune encroachment.

That afternoon though we discovered a new snorkeling site that was teeming with life. It has been nicknamed “The Nursing Station” due to the 3 Tawny Nurse sharks that were discovered sleeping there. Not only were there tawny nurse sharks but also some other Reef Sharks and plenty of Turtles. Unfortunately though the turtles were quite shy and easily evaded our cameras as they shot off at a rate of knots!

Norwegian Bay was really at its best, crystal clear waters, wildlife galore and not another soul in sight. It is such a special privilege we have exploring these waters that time again, show us nature in an untouched state, this time we were graced by the presence of 2 adult dugongs and their young calf as they fed on the sea grass close to the anchorage of Shore Thing.

And so we started heading south again towards home and Coral Bay. As we cruised back through the Coral Gardens into port David’s response sums it all up. Asked how his 9 days had been, his answer “… I could do another 9 days right away!”

There you have it, 9 days isn’t even enough as you explore the Ningaloo Reef in style aboard Shore Thing!

Check out the website at www.sailningaloo.com.au to see when our next 9 day tour is departing.

It still feels like summer on Ningaloo

April saw us venture south and were we treated with some amazing conditions. No swell, and low tides in the late afternoons turned the inner reef into what can only be described as the world’s largest aquarium! The calm conditions allowed some new snorkel sites to be discovered, the standout would have to be "Turtle cove". An amazing experience where Luke counted no less than 17 different turtles and some truly amazing coral formations and displays of colour.

Venturing as far south as Pelican point, saw an amazing array of turtles feeding in the shallow weedy lagoons. The interesting thing here was the different array of turtles sizes. Small juveniles all the way to large mature adults were sighted via the Shore Thing’s tender, the “Green Thing”. There were turtles so large that they created their own bow waves as they hurtled through the shallow waters.

Once again Lannie served up a feast of freshly prepared healthy meals which was topped off by some of Western Australia’s beautiful local wines and once again some purely serene sunsets.

The journey back north towards Coral Bay saw a lazy sail in between some more snorkeling which saw 2 of our guests, Marie-Louise & Dianne, coming face to face with their fear of sharks. A brief encounter with a small reef shark sent the adrenalin racing and ended up replacing some of the fears with a new found respect and image of beauty for a misunderstood creature.

There was also yet another in-water encounter with a chilled out little local Green Turtle.

Exploring Exploring Exploring

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.

Norwegian 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!

Ningaloo Reef

The Ningaloo Reef is one of the world’s most pristine and beautiful fringing reef systems, situated on the remote west coast of Australia and has just been nominated for World Heritage Listing!

Stretching for nearly 300km, it is protected within the boundaries of the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park, which falls within a narrow climatic band that typically features warm, comfortable weather conditions 12 months of the year.

The major natural attractions of the Ningaloo Reef are Manta Rays, Reef Sharks, Marine Turtles, Humpback Whales, Whale Sharks and Dugongs (not too mention all the little critters too !)

The reef is recognised as having one of the most diverse range of coral and fish species, in the world, all of which can be found a stones throw off the shoreline.

Coral Bay is centrally located within the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park. There are vast tracts of navigational waters inside the reef system, “Shore Thing” is perfectly equipped to take advantage of this and as a result numerous remote, secluded and protected anchorages are accessible for you and only you to explore.

Why not start thinking about the possibilities of exploring one of the most pristine marine environments in the world and having the experience of a lifetime.....

Sail Ningaloo is the Ningaloo Reefs only Live Aboard Sailing Catamaran

We aim to provide you with a truly unique and memorable experience exploring the remote and pristine wonders of the Ningaloo Reef in luxurious comfort aboard our beautifully appointed 51ft catamaran “Shore Thing”.

Accommodating a maximum of 10 guests in beautifully appointed cabins ensures your experience will be personalised and unique.

As well as spectacular coral and fish, Ningaloo Reef is a haven for Manta Rays, Dugongs, Whale Sharks, Humpback Whales, and many other amazing marine animals. The crystal clear waters are safe to swim all year round. Snorkelling, scuba diving and kayaking are some of the activities available while on charter with us.

Overnight charters range from 3 days to 9 days on the World Heritage nominated Ningaloo Reef, departing Coral Bay from March through to October.

Our motto....Leaving only bubbles & footprints taking only photographs & memories"

We hope you can come and explore the Reef with us sometime, but hopefully this blog can help you share the adventures in the meantime.