After the 45°C of the first day out the mercury hasn’t got much above a balmy forty. In fact since we crossed the tropic we have found the mornings and evenings decidedly chilly. Add to that the wind chill, it’s been blowing a gale the last three days. It was a mere 16°C overnight. Life is tough.
The last two nights have been spent at Denham. Dirk Hartog Island is off to the west, Shark Bay to the east and Monkey Mia a hop step across the peninsula to the northwest.
Towards the southern end of Shark Bay is Hamelin Pool home of the stromatolites. They are produced by the interaction of sand and microorganisms and are modern examples of one of the earliest forms of life on Earth – three and a half billion years. In their day that had it all their own way, these days they are found in only two locations in the world. They are protected of course. Given that they are on the bucket list of everyone interested in life on Earth, there is a boardwalk out to see them. And given that the boardwalk is managed by the bureaucracy in charge of Australia’s parks it’s closed. It was damaged by Cyclone Seroja in April 2021 and so far bugger all has been done to fix it. Plans are in hand – give it another couple of years. In the meantime take a very long lens.
Look carefully at the toque shaped structures beneath the Pied Cormorants …
Visitors to Denham should be sure to stop at Eagles Bluff on the way for spectacular views. The aquarium is another must. It is staffed by biologists and by the end of the tour you will be an expert in serial hermaphroditism and Batesian mimicry ready to sit your exam in marine biology. Little Lagoon is also not to be missed.
Yesterday was Monkey Mia day. The Dolphin Experience starts at 7:45am. A few dolphins will turn up on cue for a handout a meter or so from your feet. But the real stars of Monkey Mia are the Western Grasswrens that hop about in the carpark. We saw our first one within minutes of our arrival and spent several hours later in the day trying to find and hopefully photograph another, to no avail. That is typical Grasswren in my experience.
It was a day of highlights. The next was the Aristocat ll cruise in search of dolphins, turtles and dugongs which it delivered in spades.
I’ve managed to not see Dugong in the Torres Strait and in Roebuck Bay. Now at last. Their beauty far exceeds any mermaid. Peaceful creatures that browse on seagrass, a dangerously low reproductive rate, hunted for their meat and in the past for their oil. They are given a measure of protection in Oz but next time you hear someone carrying on about Japanese whaling remind them of this. Dugongs can legally be hunted by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as can turtles.
They are Sirenians not Cetaceans. Their nearest relative was Stellers Sea Cow which had slipped from this mortal coil by 1768, hunted to extinction. The other extant Sirenians are three species of manatee. Dugongs grow to as much as 3m in length and may weigh 500kg or more. Adorable.
Yet another reward on this wonderful day, on the way back to the van a Malleefowl browsing on the edge of the scrub.
This morning I stood on the beach at Denham and watched the full moon sink below the western horizon. Behind me the sky was reddening with a new day ahead. Life is remarkably precious. My cup runneth over.
Anyone visiting Shark Bay should take a cruise on the Aristocat. Not only do they do a remarkably good job on the cruise they are also giving back to the environment by regenerating seagrass meadows. You can watch it below and there is a gofundme link on their home page.
bobmcgee 