Ningaloo Reef - Kayaking in the Indian Ocean
The kayaking begins
The day starts officially at 7am but I wake early and head for the tranquility of the beach for a sunrise yoga practice. What an amazing way to greet the day enjoying my practice with the sun warming my face and listening to the waves gently lapping on the beach. Everything feels right with the world.
I stroll back to the camp where everyone else is now up and about and we tuck into a hearty breakfast with a choice of toast, muesli, yoghurt, fresh fruit, juices and hot drinks. After clearing up we get ourselves and our equipment ready and board the bus to head for the beach and the days’ kayaking adventure.
On Day 1 of our trip we are given a full safety briefing before we head out on the water. We have 5 double kayaks and 3 singles for use between the group (Neri guides us from a single). Some of our group prefer to paddle in the doubles. I don’t mind paddling on my own so am allocated a single kayak for the first day but everyone gets a chance to have a go in a single on subsequent days if they want.
There is a range of kayaking experience among the group, from those who have only kayaked a few times to others who kayak as a regular pastime. We paddle as a group and try to keep together. Maintaining an even pace allows everyone to enjoy themselves and be out on the water and part of the the amazing experience.
Over the next few days we kayak about 50 kilometers through crystal clear water stopping at beautiful beaches for morning tea and lunch. Whilst in the kayaks we see dolphins, turtles, rays and reef sharks and even a Hammerhead shark passing close by.
At the end of each day we pull our kayaks up onto the beach, pump out any excess water and chain them together ready for the next day. We board the bus chatting excitedly, full of the wonders of the day, then it’s back to base camp to shower and hang up our wet clothes. The water bags for the solar showers have been heating up in the sun all day so the water is lovely and warm. Exmouth is a very dry area so shower water is limited as all supplies including the water have been brought in with us from Exmouth by Neri and Noemie. We have to use our resources sparingly so it’s a chance to rinse off the salt water not a full head to toe shower.
After our showers a few of us take our drinks and a plate of nibbles and head to the beach to sit and watch the sunset over the ocean - pure magic !! Than it’s time for another delicious dinner prepared by Neri. There’s always plenty of food and we bring our own alcohol. Over dinner we share more stories about our day and there’s a real feeling of camaraderie in the camp. Then it’s back to our tents under the stars worn out by the day’s activities but excited to get up early and do it all again the following day.
Our last day of kayaking
After we leave the gorge it’s back to our main activity of kayaking. On our final day we see some very large rays and then paddle close to a pod of dolphins circling round and round. The dolphins have herded a school of fish into a bait ball and individual members take turns ploughing through the ball and feeding on the fish. This movement draws the attention of other predators and a Hammerhead and Tiger Shark swim close to Neri’s kayak . She points them out to everyone and takes a photo. It’s really lovely to see how excited she is despite doing this same trip many times over. When we see a few reef sharks close by we realise that we are in the middle of a feeding frenzy. This could be quite unnerving for some people but these predators have no interest in us or our kayaks. They are simply doing as nature intended so there is no danger to us and when they disperse we continue our paddle with another great memory to savor.
Being both on and in the water is a fantastic experience which brings you so much closer to nature. I enjoyed every minute of this trip from the kayaking and snorkeling to the camping and bush-walking and wished it would never end.
So ….. if you have a sense of adventure, love the outdoors and being on water I would recommend you take a kayaking trip in Ningaloo Reef. A special piece of paradise on the Indian Ocean - amazing !!
