The unique Aussie experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list
By Julie Miller
Wildlife in its element is a beautiful thing to behold, but in this case, it feels a little voyeuristic. From the ridge of a windswept dune on Western Australia’s Ningaloo coastline, I’m not sure whether to stare or avert my eyes as dozens of Green sea turtles bob in the turquoise shallows below, making whoopee during a mass mating aggregation.
Sal Salis resort at Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef.
“It’s like we’ve stumbled into a David Attenborough documentary, isn’t it?” says general manager of Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef Leith Graham as the randy males spread their seed and exhausted females drag themselves onto the beach to recover from the ordeal.
For guests of the luxury eco-resort Sal Salis, the opportunity to witness this annual event is just one of the immersive tours on offer where wildlife takes centre stage. And here at Ningaloo Reef, it’s quite the cabaret, with bold and charismatic creatures, both on land and sea, vying for attention.
On the deck of Sal Salis’ rustic main lodge, cheeky corellas pose for my camera, strutting along the breakfast bar like models on a catwalk. In the distance, there’s a splash as a playful humpback fin-slaps just beyond the reef; while in the crystalline lagoon – just steps away from the 16 safari-style tents nestled in the dunes – it’s a fluorescent underwater disco as dozens of tropical fish flit among coral on the biggest fringing reef in the world.
A turtle encounter.
We rise before dawn one morning for a sunrise hike to Mandu Mandu Gorge, the first rays illuminating the red cliffs gouged into the ancient limestone landscape of the Cape Range National Park. As if on cue, a pair of tiny endangered black-footed wallabies bound fearlessly onto the dry riverbed; and after sniffing each other tentatively, launch into a full-on kick-boxing display, limbs akimbo as they brawl like cartoon kangaroos for a good 10 minutes.
Of course, it’s Ningaloo’s mega-marine life that is its main attraction, and as our visit coincides with the epic migration of 30,000 humpbacks en route to their breeding grounds near Broome, we have the opportunity to join a Humpback Whale Swim tour with local partners, Live Ningaloo.
Any underwater encounter with humpbacks, however, must be entirely on their terms – the curious mammals must approach us in the water, not vice versa. But from the deck of Live Ningaloo’s zippy 12 metre Wave Rider, it appears that today, the whales are more concerned with putting on a gymnastics display, rather than having a face-to-face chat.
Sal Salis … low-key luxury.
Less than 50 metres away, a mama whale is teaching her baby some moves, ricocheting into the air before the little one follows suit, thumping its tail in apparent glee. On board, our guides Katie Gates and Justin Bumpstead, yell with excitement, high-fiving each other in sheer exaltation. Clearly, this is a job that never gets old, with the young, passionate crew living their dream and loving every minute of their time on the water.
But there’s no time to savour the spectacular acrobatics. A spotter plane has sighted a whale shark, somewhat of a rarity so late in the season. Leaving the breaching whales – reluctantly – in our wake, we head further south where the shark has been sighted, joining four other boats in line to join the swim.
All of the comforts amid nature and sand dunes.
The operation is a well-oiled machine. As we wait on the marlin board of Wave Rider, masks on, snorkels poised, I begin to feel a nervous pit in my stomach, trepidation growing at the thought of plunging into the unknown. Then, from above, skipper Kurtis McGlennon gives the signal, and we pop into the water and form a line, Katie at the back watching for the whale’s approach.
Immersed in nature.
“Faces down!” she suddenly yells, and as I bob my head under the swell, I see, in the deep blue distance, a giant gaping mouth start to materialise. Within seconds, the seven-metre beast is alongside me, its beautiful, dappled body illuminated by shafts of sunlight in the aquarium-clear water. At Katie’s signal, I start to swim, just metres from this ethereal creature as it sashays unperturbed through the blue, propelled effortlessly by its swishing tail.
The area is known for its whale sharks.
Later that evening, around the communal dining table at Sal Salis, I recount this amazing, unforgettable moment with other guests, each of whom has their own story of wonder to tell, of incredible sights that cannot be experienced anywhere else in Australia. Here, where the outback meets the reef in all its glory, is a special treasure indeed, and one that should definitely be on the wish list of every adventurous traveller.
Julie Miller was a guest of Journey Beyond.
THE DETAILS
FLY
Qantas flies daily from Perth to Exmouth’s Learmonth airport, connecting to flights from the east coast. There is also a twice-weekly direct flight from Melbourne to Learmonth during peak season (April to October). See qantas.com
STAY
Sal Salis offers all-inclusive three-night minimum stays in luxury, low-impact safari-style wilderness tents, priced from $1790 a night twin share. Rates include all meals, an open bar, non-motorised water sports and guided activities (whale shark and humpback swims extra).
Humpback whale swims are available from July to October; whale shark season is from March to August.
See salsalis.com.au
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