The vibrant ochre red of the valley floor is reflected in the clouds above Charles Knife Canyon, Exmouth. This panoramic view is a highlight of any visit to Ningaloo, WA.
See Cruising with sharks, p112.
(PHOTO CREDIT: IZAAC BLOMLEY)WHY TRAVEL WITH US?
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CRUISING WITH SHARKS
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY IZAAC BLOMLEY
Western Australia’s Ningaloo coast is all it’s cracked up to be – and more.
Come. We’ve been eagerly anticipating it since arriving a week ago. We’re sitting in preassigned rows – bums on deck, with masks, snorkels and flippers at the ready – anxiously awaiting instructions from our crew as if this is the climax for a main event. Which it is. Then comes the call: “Go, go, go!” We hastily shuffle off the marlin board and dive into the deep blue waters of Ningaloo Reef. Hearts are pumping and snorkels gurgling as we form an orderly queue to safely watch the rockstar of the reef take centre stage. It’s quiet and calm as we drift at the surface, then, out of the blue, the unmistakable silhouette of a whale shark, the world’s biggest fish, cruises into view. It’s like slow motion as we gaze in awe through our masks at this magnificent creature. Its white dots