Sunset Surf

We got out for a surfing session at Wobiri Beach – an evening surf.  It was lots of fun and the water was warm.  We had so much fun that we ended up staying until after sunset.

Wobiri Beach

Matthew heading out to catch some waves

Emma your car looks great with surfboards on top!!

Krystin heading out

Kade enjoying the view

Matthew riding the wave

Matthew catching another wave

Exploring Cape Range National Park

Another day exploring the Exmouth Area and Cape Range National Park.  In the morning we headed to the furthest point in the park - Yardie Creek - the landscape was a little different from the beaches and we had a great hike.  Then we headed to the Oyster Shacks for another snorkel.

This is the view from where we stayed

Yardie Creek

Yardie Creek



Another view

Some interesting coral at the Oyster Shacks

A clown fish

A starfish just hanging out on the sand

Krystin swimming with the fish

This was a favourite fish to see - so colourful

Turquoise Bay

There are many beaches and snorkeling places in the Cape Range National Park to explore and explore we did. Turquoise Bay was one of our favourites and we went there twice for some great snorkeling.  The water is - well turquoise and so clear and full of tons of tropical fish.  We also had the opportunity to go out on Peter's boat (Sean's Principle) for some fishing and whale watching.

Peter's boat

Fun on the boat



This is Turquoise Bay

A fish

A little yellow fish

A starfish - we were excited when we saw this

More fish

Sean's snorkeling selfie

Kade getting ready to snorkel

The boys modeling

Fun at the beach



This is a potato cod - Matthew & Krystin were snorkeling not far from shore and they spotted a fish like this one. It was huge - maybe 1.5 metres long and just a thick. Krystin went to point it out to Matthew and he had already seen it and was making a run (swim) for shore.  It was scary.  We stopped at the information centre in the park to find out what it was and we found out that it was a potato cod.  We were also told that they are not always friendly and that most incidences (bites) are not from sharks but are from potato cods.  Krystin was glad that Matthew took off and that she followed!!!

A Whale of a Time

Next stop, our furthest north, Exmouth.  Our first adventure was another snorkeling trip – can you tell that we really like it?  We were off to see a Whale Shark.  The Whale Shark is the largest fish in the sea and can be between 4 and 18 metres long – that is big!!!  We started out with a snorkel inside the reef.  We saw lots of great things including, 5 stingrays (Kade and Krystin got to swim behind one), lots of very colourful fish, a blue starfish, coral, and Kade saw a small octopus.  Then it was off to see the Whale Shark. As we were heading to see the Whale Shark we saw dolphins and humpback whales.  It took a while and we had to travel pretty far north to find one but then we did and it was go time.  You have to have your snorkeling gear on and be ready to jump into the ocean at a moments’ notice.  Once we got in the ocean we were directed to a side and told to wait.  Then we get the signal to look into the water and look back and then there it is – the Whale Shark!  And it was a big one – once we got over the shock of how big it was we got to swim alongside it and enjoy its beauty!  On our first swim the Whale Shark decided to take a closer look at Sean and started to move towards him – he had to swim backwards to get out of its way.  Our Whale Shark was a girl and was over 6 metres long!!  Another great experience for the family.

A blue starfish

Matthew

Kade

Some interesting coral formations

Heading out to see the Whale Shark

The Whale Shark

Swimming past us

At one point the Whale Shark took a deep dive and the crew
lost her but she decided to come up and visit us at the boat.
Needless to say we were excited to see her from this view

Getting  a little closer

That is Kade swimming on the right side

Sean swimming

The photographer on the boat captured this one - Jenna -
a Canadian - as she swam under our boat

Krystin trying to keep up

Getting ready to get back in the water with the Whale Shark
for a fourth swim

Kade enjoying the sun

Krystin & Sean

Our group and crew on the 3 Island Whale Shark Dive

Under the Sea in Coral Bay

We are now further north in Coral Bay.  A highly recommended stop by several of Sean’s teacher friends.  We got in late and had a stressful drive full of kangaroos, goats, cows and birds on the road – driving at night is not fun here – we got out with only killing one bird!!!!  We ended up going on a boat tour to swim with the Manta Rays. There ended up only being 8 people in total on the boat so we got lot of attention! We started with a snorkel on the coral reef – which was amazing we saw lots of different fish and coral formations.  Our second snorkel was swimming with a giant Manta Ray – it was an amazing experience we will never forget.  We then headed out further into the ocean to look for Humpback whales and we were not disappointed.  We saw several playing in the water no more 50 to 100 metres away from the boat.  We then went for a third snorkel and our guide took us to see the reef shark cleaning station – this is where the reef sharks go to get cleaned off by fish that live in the coral – kind of like a shark car wash!!! What a day.



Getting ready to go snorkeling

Ready set go!

Our boat



Some fish under the sea

The Manta Ray

Krystin swimming with the Manta Ray

Kade chasing the Manta Ray



some more fish

Some of the coral in Coral Bay



More fish and coral



Coral



A reef shark - we did not take this picture but we saw
them when snorkeling

Swimming in an aquarium

More fish

Boys enjoying the boat



The boys in the water

The family enjoying the water

Matthew

A Humpback Whale swimming by

Matthew & Sean snorkeling

The next day we went snorkeling at the beach right in Coral Bay and saw lots more coral – including the big brain – a coral formation that was big and looked like, you guessed it, a brain.  What a beautiful place.

Snorkeling around the big brain