Day 27: Exmouth (Swimming with Whales)

Dad Michi has a day off today. He is going swimming with whales. Departure at the camp is at 7 o'clock. On this particular day, the kids sleep longer and wake up when Michi has to leave.

We have breakfast outside. Samuel finds it too cold. The wind is blowing strongly. Today we have laundry on the program. Tomorrow we will be going to Cape Range National Park for 3 nights and we want to be well prepared because there is no water or electricity there... After we are done with work, the kids are allowed to go go-karting (1 hour, 10 AUD). They have a lot of fun doing it. Since the irrigation system at the campground is in full swing today, there are some water puddles and water crossings that are simply the highlight. Meanwhile, Elija takes a nap in the stroller.

We cook risotto with kangaroo skewers and take a siesta. Only Maxima is able to sleep a little. Michi returns from his tour at 3 o'clock and we go for a swim in the pool.

Schwimming with Whales Michi (Ocean Eco Adventures, 365 AUD)

I am picked up at the reception by the tour bus at exactly 7:20 am. We go on the same boat as yesterday evening for the tour. There are 15 swimmers. However, two of them do not go into the water later. At the beginning, we receive a detailed briefing on swimming with the whales and the boat tour (safety, seasickness, food, toilet). We sail out for 30 minutes. The sea in the Gulf of Exmouth is rougher than further out. At the first stop, we have breakfast and do a kind of check-snorkeling (the guides check if all participants can actually swim). Unfortunately, the reef is lacking colors. However, the wildlife is rich and diverse. As soon as we get in the water, we see a white tip reef shark, a turtle, some zacks, and larger shoals of reef fish. After all swimmers have passed the test, we finally go to the whales. We were told that it's not a question of whether you will see whales at the moment, but how many. This is true not only for whale watching, but also for whale swimming today. We see a variety of whales throughout the day. There are estimated to be around 100. They rest here in the Gulf during their migration to the Southern Pole. Currently, there are supposedly over 1,000 whales here for about 3-4 months. A microlight aircraft is used for whale swimming. It provides information about the position of the whales. However, the first group of participants needs four attempts to actually get close to a whale. I am in the second group. The scout in the microlight constantly gives the positions of the whales. We swim 20 meters towards the mainland, then 10 meters towards the boat. This goes back and forth several times until the whale finally dives under us. Unfortunately, the visibility is very poor today and only the silhouette of the whale is visible (can you find it in the photo?). That's nature! After the whale swimming, we head back towards the Gulf of Exmouth, where the female whales and their calves take a rest. Swimming with the whales is not allowed in the Gulf. The giants of the sea are supposed to find the necessary peace here with their calves before continuing their journey to Antarctica. We make another stop because manta rays were spotted from the microlight. We all go into the water at the same time and snorkel with three mantas. They circle us several times and dive under us. From above, the whole thing must look like a game of flippers: left, right, forward, backward. We even spot a sea snake that comes to the surface for a short time. At the end of our trip, we can observe many cows resting with their calves again. A young whale near the boat is in a great mood and jumps out of the water several times. Conclusion: Of course, you hope for crystal-clear water and whales that are too close for any wide-angle lens. But nature is different and that's a good thing. It was a well-organized trip with unforgettable encounters and impressions. The crew is more than concerned about the well-being on board and in the water. The food is plentiful and good. A must for anyone who stops here.

We decide to go for an evening outing. We go back to the turtles at Jurabi Point. The turtles seem to have a strong desire to mate. We can observe some couples mating. Today there are no surfers in the water. They are all further towards Exmouth in action. We can observe several turtles from the beach again. There are a lot of them today. We actually wanted to have a picnic on the beach, but now the wind picks up again and covers our snack with a breeze of sand. After the sunset, we change location to the camper. Here, the sand-free snack simply tastes better.

It is already dark on the way back to the camp. We see a kangaroo and a dingo. Elija falls asleep during the ride and the older ones fall asleep quickly as well.

8.10.2018

Accommodation: RAC Exmouth Cape Holiday Park / Exmouth (1 night 48 AUD, nice big place just before downtown, well-equipped, playground could be bigger, unfortunately, there is no toilet/shower near the pool)

Weather: sunny & windy, 28 degrees

61 kilometers today, total of 4,508 kilometers