Wednesday, Day 53 - Feb 28 - 8 to 6, Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia - Becomes a Sea Day Cruising the Indian Ocean

Exmouth, located in the northwest part of Western Australia is a former military base. Today its serene coastal waters make Exmouth a special destination because of its proximity to the Ningaloo Reef Cape Range National Park. The Ningaloo Coast, UNESCO World Heritage Site is located on Western Australia's remote coast along the East Indian Ocean. The coastal waters host a major, near shore reef system and a directly adjacent, limestone karst system and associated habitats and species along an arid coastline.

An estimated 300 to 500 whale sharks aggregate annually coinciding with mass coral spawning events. The marine portion of the park contains a high diversity of habitats that includes lagoon, reef, open ocean, the continental slope and the continental shelf. Intertidal systems such as rocky shores, sandy beaches, estuaries, and mangroves are also found.

The most dominant marine habitat is the Ningaloo reef, which sustains both tropical and temperate marine fauna and flora, including marine reptiles and mammals. The main terrestrial feature of the Ningaloo Coast is the extensive karst system and network of underground caves and water courses of the Cape Range.

Above ground, the Cape Range Peninsula belongs to an arid eco-region recognized for its high levels of species richness particularly for birds and reptiles. The underwater paradise with its vibrant, aquatic life is said to be even better than the Great Barrier Reef off the Eastern Australia Coast.

Well, it was to be a new port and an area we have wanted to visit for some time. We had booked two, free ship’s tours today. First: “Coral Fantasy by Glass Bottom Boat,” included a picturesque drive along the coast of the Cape Range National Park, then a trip aboard the Reef Viewer, a covered boat with large glass panels on the bottom offering viewing of the wonders below the surface. We were to cruise the Ningaloo Reef, a massive reef that encompasses approximately 2,000 square miles of ocean. It’s an incredibly bio-diverse environment that is teeming with marine life, including more than 500 species of fish, manta rays, whale sharks, graceful hawksbill turtles, curious dolphin and schooling fish of every imaginable size and color. The reef is made up of 250 species of coral, including staghorn, cabbage and plate coral and coral bommies, which are standalone columns or outcrops of coral. The other tour, “Exmouth Highlights,” included a visit to the Harold E. Holt Naval Communication Station. One of the station’s key pieces of equipment is Tower Zero. The world’s largest array of low-frequency antennae surrounds it, creating a radio relay station that passes low-frequency messages between Australian and U.S. ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean. The strategically important station was constructed in the 1960s and the town of Exmouth was created essentially to support the station’s military personnel. We were to see a rare one-man submarine that pre-dates both places, as it was used during World War II. Also a visit to Vlaming Head lighthouse, a structure built in 1912 on the northernmost tip of Cape Range with spectacular views over Ningaloo Reef was planned. Then on to Jurabi Turtle Center to see green, loggerhead and hawksbill turtles. Then finally a photo stop at beautiful Bundegi Beach and at Charles Knife Gorge, both very scenic spots.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. The best we see of Exmouth is a view of the coastline from the ship. At 7:20AM the Captain comes over the PA telling us he can’t find a safe anchorage in the large shallow Bay. We have to tender today and the wind is at 25 knots making the water very choppy with 4-6 foot waves, very unsafe to tender. So we are moving on to the next port.

It is a beautiful sunny day, just too much wind! What a disappointment, but having seen a lady loose her footing getting into the tender on HAL in similar seas and crushing her leg between the ship’s platform and the tender, we really have no problem with the decision.

Now, since we no longer have an early tour, we slowly regroup, check email and then go for a leisurely breakfast while the staff scrambles and puts together a regular sea day program.

Dick goes to his two morning lectures: Bishops “James Cook: A Man of Endeavor and Resolution” and Eltaher’s “Sailing Through World History - Cruising the Suez Canal”. He says Eltaher has some great pictures of the building the Canal, but is still hard to understand.

Carolyn goes to Quilling with Sarah. We have a whole new bunch of ladies so she gets us started on the day’s project, a girl flying away with a hand full of balloons. It is made up of parts we already know how to make, so we go to work while she teaches the first timers.

Carolyn goes to lunch for a repeat of yesterdays good meal while Dick steams over the new Quicken program ID sign-in requirements. It is making him update again, the second time since we left Hawaii which is a problem on the ship.

Much to Carolyn’s delight, the Compass Rose has added some sandwiches with chips to the menu of heavier lunch food. This was a suggestion she put on her last comment card. Hope it lasts. The chicken and dried cherry salad is very good.

This afternoon Carolyn goes to the other craft class with Bishop’s wife, Julie, and learns how to do the decoupage card making method. The Quicken program finally decides to download and Dick is able to do his business, but this kind of frustration just sends him over the edge and ruins his day.  A major downside of cruising for him.

Because of the port disappointment, they added a before dinner show by the production cast, “Good Bye to Australia”. It is a tribute of song and dance to showcase the music of Australia’s most renowned film director, Baz Luhrmann, featuring songs from Moulin Rouge and the Great Gatsby. Carolyn goes and then meets Dick at Sette Mari for a good Italian dinner.

In spite of the disappointing beginning and other minor irritations during the day, it has been a nice day. And for the first time in a while we are not being bounced around when we head for bed!