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Our friend Lorraine kindly took us to Perth airport to catch the 2hr flight to Exmouth. We were excited at the prospect of seeing whale sharks and had bought masks and snorkels for the trip.
Sea Breezes used to be part of an American Naval Base (600 US personnel were stationed there). It still operates but on a smaller scale now run by the Australian Navy who have 100 personnel stationed at the communication centre. The rooms are self catering, clean and functional and are the nearest to the reef and national park .
Exmouth itself is an interesting place. It takes its name from the ocean adjacent to the town, it was named by Captain Phillip Parker King in 1818. Its renowned for being one of the most treacherous coastlines. The wreck of the Mildura (shipping cattle) in 1907 can still be seen and is now a favourite place for sharks, fish and turtles.
The weather got worse (it was only just the end of the cyclone season) and our boat trip out to the reef was cancelled on both the Friday and Saturday.
We spent Friday and Saturday in the Cape Range National Park. It
forms the coastline of the Ningaloo Reef. It has spectacular rugged limestone ranges, canyons and 50klm of prestine beaches. It covers 50,500 hectares. As we entered the park ($11 per car) I asked the ranger what a "Euro" was as it said on the information we could expect to see them. She went into the office and came out with a canvas bag containing a very small Euro. Its a type of Kangaroo. Small and stocky. This one was only a few days old and she had found it in its mothers pouch who had been run over. She was feeding it every 4 hours and would be doing so for several months.
We drove 92Klm along the coast through the park. The beaches are wonderful. The park itself is fantastic and the wildlife is abundant. We saw Emu, Kangaroo, Rock Wallabies and lots of birds (Pied Butcher Bird, Australian Bustard, Reef Egret, Kestrel, Fairy Wren and Eagles (Sadly we did not see the Ospreys). You can camp in the park but it is basic, they only provide a loo, no showers. Booking ahead is essential as there are only limited spaces.
The Ningaloo Reef is 260k long
and is the closest reef to land in the world. Exmouth is the only town on the peninsular. It is unspoilt, protected and tousist visits are controlled under licence. Fishing is only permitted in certain areas. Most people we met who had seen both preferred it to the Great Barrier reef.
Our snorkels got their first outing in Lakeside Bay. Although it was very windy we still went in. They call it self guided snorkling. You start one end of the bay and let the drift take you to the other end.
We walked up Yardie Creek gorge, its one of two gorges in the park. The views from the top are fantastic - you can see the reef in all its glory. Kestrels were nesting in the cliffs.
After being disappointed by the weather for 3 days, we were lucky that on the Sunday our boat "Magellon" decided to go out. We started off with cloud and wind. In fact we saw a twister at sea. Bill, our captain was not optimistic that the spotter plane would be able to see the Whale Sharks.
The sun came out and we got into the water about
7 times with 2 different Whale Sharks. Both male, one 4 metres long and the other a bit bigger. It is one of the most exciting and scary things I have ever done. The first time you get in the water your heart is pumping. They only take 6 people at a time and you are guided as to where to swim (no closer than 3 metres).
It's comes as a shock, when out of the blue emerges the biggest fish on the planet, heading right for you. In fact they are harmless, only eating plankton and other very small fish but the sheer size and grace of movement took our breath away. The visibility was superb and we were in awe.
After the first swim we were more relaxed and were able to spend quite a long time swimming alongside the shark, which was hardly moving. It was amazing and we were not suprised to be told this had been voted as the best Australian tourist experience. Mike also saw a Giant Manta Ray but I missed it. We did see lots of coloured fish and a Green Turtle.
You could visit the Ningaloo Reef over
and over as each month different animals arrive. The first Humpback Whale had been seen the day before. They usually arrive in June and stay on the reef until November. In September Reef Sharks breed in the sheltered bays, in November the turtles nest along the beaches and in March the coral spawns. From May to November the Giant Manta Rays migrate in huge schools along the reef and are easily seen from the beaches.
One of the reasons we chose to visit Western Australia was to see Whale Sharks so we were just elated, Mother Nature at it's best.
Krystal, the photographer gave us permission to post her whale shark photos on the blog, she is keen on conservation and was happy for us to spread the word. 100,000,000 sharks are killed for their fins (soup) each year. Have a look at her website for more pictures and info' www.krystalvision.com.au/news
It is only a week now until we start our journey home, so this is our last blog. Our time here has been a joy. We have met some wonderful people who we will be sad to leave. I have made some progress with my golf.
Both Mike and I have enjoyed the hospitality and kindness of all those we have met.
This week we are having friends round and saying our goodbyes.
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