This 13-day sailing adventure aboard Coral Discoverer travels through Western Australia. Explore the underwater wonders of the sea and be blown away by the stunning Broome’s famous “pearl strip” along Dampier Terrace. This trip also showcases the UNESCO-designated Ningaloo Marine Park's protected steam-powered whaling ships loaded with harpoon guns scoured the waters along the Ningaloo Coast. Watch for Rookeries of green, hawksbill, loggerhead, and leatherback turtles, along with the threatened flatback turtle in Little Turtle Island and learn about Australia's cultural traditions by visiting Aboriginal Rock Art.
Highlights
Discover different corals while snorkeling and diving
Explore and witness the seasonal feeding ground of marine animals
Experience bird-watching in the remote islands of Western Australia
Visit Little Turtle Island, an important nesting place for flatback turtles
Learn about Australia's cultural traditions by visiting Aboriginal Rock Art
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
After a welcome brunch, join a sightseeing tour of Broome, Western Australia’s legendary pearling town and gateway to the wild Kimberley region. Broome’s famous “pearl strip” along Dampier Terrace is home to the hautest jewelry brands, and you’ll pass by numerous boutiques on the way to the recently-refurbished Coral Discoverer. Settle into your freshly updated stateroom before cocktails on the sun deck, followed by dinner.
Day 3: Clerke Reef, Rowley Shoals Marine Park | Sand Cay
Suit up for your first snorkel or dive in Rowley Shoals Marine Park, a trio of remote coral atolls recognized for some of Australia’s best diving. Spend the morning along Clerke Reef, the most popular of the three; its outside walls offer outstanding scuba opportunities or snorkel alongside angelfish, trevally, and turtles in the shallow lagoon. Later, set out for Sand Cay where fields of gorgonians and soft coral gardens crowd the outer slope.
The largest of Rowley Shoals’ reefs, teardrop-shaped Imperieuse is also the least visited because its lagoon passage is too narrow for most ships to navigate. Encounter coral trout, Queensland groper, and Maori wrasse—just a few of the nearly 700 species recorded here.
Day 5: Dolphin Island, Dampier Archipelago | Eaglehawk Island
Hit the water in the Dampier Archipelago, a chain of 42 islands and outcroppings scattered off the Dampier coast. First stop: Dolphin Island, where pods of bottlenose dolphin are often spotted. Underwater, you may discover dugongs and some 600 fish species; while on shore, search for birds or view ancient Aboriginal petroglyphs and rock pools where 19th-century pearlers collected fresh water. More adventures await off tiny Eaglehawk Island or stay dry in the ship’s glass-bottom boat.
Scuba enthusiasts have dubbed the 70,000-acre Murion Islands Marine Management Area the “Magical Murions.” Part of the Ningaloo Archipelago located to the north of Exmouth, South Murion is famous for Cod Spot, where thousands of golden cardinalfish, large potato cod, coral cod, and manta rays congregate. Other popular sites include The Spit, inhabited by tiny baitfish and giant manta rays; Dinner Plates, lined with plate coral; and The Gap, a fabulous drift dive between the two islands.
Remnants of a former whaling station on Norwegian Bay stand as testament to this remote region’s heritage. For most of the 20th century, steam-powered whaling ships loaded with harpoon guns scoured the waters along the Ningaloo Coast, which are now protected as the UNESCO-designated Ningaloo Marine Park. In addition to several species of whales, the area is also home to whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins, turtles, and more than 500 fish species. Explore a number of historic wrecks, or snorkel from the shore along Australia’s largest fringing coral reef.
Around 75 miles west of Dampier you’ll find Montebello Islands, one of Australia’s most important marine parks. Comprising more than 250 islands and a diverse range of habitats, the park nurtures some 150 types of hard coral and 450 fish species, while 640 species of molluscs have been identified, along with 170 echinoderms. Search for underwater denizens at Claret Bay, Willy Nilly Lagoon, and Alpha Island, or go ashore to search for white, Caspian, bridled, and roseate terns; sooty and pied oystercatchers; and white-bellied sea eagles.
As its name implies, Little Turtle Island is part of an important turtle nesting area. Rookeries of green, hawksbill, loggerhead, and leatherback turtles, along with the threatened flatback turtle, are found along its sheltered beaches. Migratory wading birds can also be found here, while dugong feed in the seaweed and grasses just offshore.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Category 1
Staterooms are 195 sq. feet and feature two portholes, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
Category 2
Staterooms are 195 sq. feet and feature two small windows, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
Category 3
Staterooms are 160 sq. ft and feature a large window, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
Category 4
Staterooms are 195 sq. feet and feature a large window, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
Category 5
Staterooms are 195 sq. feet and feature a large window, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
Notes
- Rates are per person based on double occupancy.
- Singles may be available at 1.6 times the share rate.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 254 reviews on
2 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.