• Adventuring Down Under
    Montgomery Reef is a natural wonder — Kimberley, WA.
    The zodiacs accompany us to Montgomery Reef — Kimberley, WA.Montgomery Reef is submerged at high tide — Kimberley, WA.Montgomery Reef appears as the tide ebbs — Kimberley, WA.Montgomery Reef appears as the tide ebbs — Kimberley, WA.Montgomery Reef appears as the tide ebbs — Kimberley, WA.Montgomery Reef appears as the tide ebbs — Kimberley, WA.Off to take a closer look at Montgomery Reef at low tide — Kimberley, WA.Montgomery Reef at low tide — Kimberley, WA.Montgomery Reef at low tide — Kimberley, WA.Sea snake at Montgomery Reef — Kimberley, WA.Sea turtle at Montgomery Reef — Kimberley, WA.Sea turtle at Montgomery Reef — Kimberley, WA.Reef shark at Montgomery Reef — Kimberley, WA.Montgomery Reef in action — Kimberley, WA.Wine tasting onboard Coral Discoverer — Kimberley, WA.Wine tasting onboard Coral Discoverer — Kimberley, WA.Wine tasting onboard Coral Discoverer — Kimberley, WA.Sunset — Kimberley, WA.

    Kimberley Expedition: Day 8 (Afternoon)

    April 19, 2024, Indian Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    Our afternoon visit was to Montgomery Reef, which is perched atop a 1,800 million year old Pentecost sandstone and dolomite mesa with an approximately 12,000 year old marine veneer ringed by rhodolith banks. The mesa was submerged some 6,000 years ago when the sea rose to its present level. One of the world’s natural wonders, the 154 square mile reef is the world’s largest “inshore reef.”

    This outing was tide-dependent, so our departure was delayed by an hour to give us a better chance of seeing the reef rise out of the sea as the tide ebbed off it in cataracts.

    Though we went out to the reef in the Xplorer, the zodiacs accompanied us to give us a closer look at the phenomenon. As well as seeing the lagoon empty into the ocean as the reef rose out of the water, we caught glimpses of sea turtles peeping out of the water for a quick breath of air. There were also sharks hunting inside the reef … saw the tips of their fins. Birds — particularly reef egrets — were fairly abundant, but extremely shy. Our best sighting was of a sea snake — its white skin clearly visible against the darker water

    Returning to the Coral Discoverer, we had just enough time to drop off our stuff in the cabin before the announcement came for a wine tasting event in the Bridge Deck Lounge. Josh, the purser, ran the event. We sipped one New Zealand wine … a Sauvignon Blanc; and two reds … one a Pinot Noir from Tasmania and the other a Cabernet Sauvignon from South Australia. Each wine was accompanied by a canapé to demonstrate how the right food pairing can impact the experience.

    Dinner was at 6:30p … followed by a romantic comedy set in the Northern Territory … “Top End Wedding.” Ready for some downtime, we skipped it. We’ll see if we can find it on Netflix or You Tube when we get home.    Read more