Marine Life and More

3rd July 2026

Boom netting was a real buzz!

I am ready for my pickup for the snubfin dolphin cruise at 7:15am!

We arrive at the beach for my transfer to the main boat and I am delighted that our transfer is via sea legs, which I saw for the first time yesterday. I am also delighted to get a photo and a little video of it.   It really is a clever piece of engineering.

Sealegs 'kneeling' for people to board

  

As we pass the port we get a good look at both docks, the old dock required boats to be crewed 24/7 to continually adjust tethers to accomodate the huge tides but the floating dock alleviates this need.

Old dock

Floating dock

A turtle and bottlenose dolphin make a brief appearance within minutes of our departure, followed shortly by a  young humpback whale, rarely seen so far into the bay.

Then we have a few manta rays making an appearance, sometimes staying around for a few minutes.

A sea eagles flew by, rather close, and another 2 perched high on a moored ship's equipment.  A brown boobie was also spotted but I did not get a particularly good look.

A Flatback Turtle, snacking on a tomato jellyfish, was more intent on its meal and we were able to see it really well over a relatively extended period of time.

Photos that I took of all these critters are not worth sharing - the boat was moving and lots of zoom with the camera messed with focus.  However, I really enjoyed the trip and it was only ever a few minutes between spotting animals.

When I first saw that one of the activities on offer as part of this cruise was 'boom netting", I felt I must do that, but upon reflection did wonder especially given the damage to my ankle. However, I watched others. I was assured that I could have as little or long in the net as I wished and would have assistance getting out if I needed it and so I had to go and it was a real buzz so that's the second thing I've never done before today. The other being riding in the sealegs, which is really just like riding in an inflatable dinghy. 

We didn't see any sea cows but I was quite pleased with a range of wildlife that we did see 

Back of my accommodation I changed, had lunch and then headed into town for some more exploration. 

I choose the jetty to jetty walk to start with, principally because I found myself on it and it's rather pleasant.

I have been pleased to learn that netting in Roebuck Bay is now prohibited due to its impact on some of the marine life, including the snub fin, dolphins and dugong.  The biodiversity in the bay is amazing and it has been listed as a RAMSAR wetland.  Hopefully that will assist in development being sensitive to everything else that lives in the bay.

I stopped to admit the statue of the Aboriginal woman diver, constructed to honour contribution of all women to the pearling industry.

Aboriginal woman diver

There's also a reminder of the toll that pearling could take on all who were actively involved, with a reminder further along that a lugger returning after weeks at sea with the flag at half mast signifies loss at sea and wives waiting on shore would wonder who would be the widow. 

I divert into a couple of art galleries, the first being Red Bill gallery and was bemused by a sign outside on a large tree.

Because they might hurt or because they might make a mess?

The second gallery was Black Stump gallery which has some lovely things, including a piece of art by Ingrid Windram called A Quiet Place that would not be out of place in my house. The price tag is a little out of my range.

I duck into another gallery in the Old Pearlers Quarters, and the artworks are rather nicely displayed amongst a plethora of historical artefacts. 

Old Pearlers Quarters

After a diversion into a couple of the pearl shops, including one that I was told might be able to help me with mother of pearl buttons, I reached Streeters Jetty which used to extend out 800m, past the mangrove swamp, and into the water but long ago disintegrated and a small part has been restored as it is a significant part of Broome's history.

I checked out the general store in town and found not much of interest but did encounter a couple of my fellow passengers from The Reef Prince. I then had a look at the Sun Theatre. 

The Sun Theatre - Australia's oldest outdoor cinema

Entrance to Chinatown - previously known as Japtown

By that time it was close to 5:00 and time to head back to my accommodation, butt it would soon be dark and possibly risky to walk. So I called my trusty new friend Mohammad, the taxi driver, instead. He collected me fairly promptly and delivered me back to my accommodation and en route we discussed my day and my plans for the evening. He gave me the instruction to call when I was ready to go out. 

Back in my comfortable Airbnb, the swimming pool called, so I found the plastic picnic glasses, poured myself a wine and headed that way. I spoke to Felicity on the way and offered her the glass of wine I had promised yesterday, which she gratefully accepted. She decided not to join me in the pool since it was too cold! But after I fetched the bottle  from my fridge and she found a proper glass, she poured herself a wine and sat and chatted while I luxuriated in the pool assisted by one of her floaty chair things. 

She expressed delight that I had made use of both her pool and the bath tub in my bathroom; we discussed my day and plans or otherwise for the evening and she suggested, given that we have clear sky that I had another go at seeing stairway to the Moon - from the Mangrove Hotel rather than Town Beach.

In Felicity's pool

I promised I would if I wasn't too tired after eating dinner and I called my lovely taxi driver again, disturbed his preparation of his dinner but he picked me up and delivered me anyway with the instruction to call him when I was ready to return, which I did. 

I found the appropriate area in the Mangrove Hotel, purchased a glass of bubbles and looked for a suitable seat. 

A table for six with only three people seemed to offer a possibility and I enquired regarding the the apparently vacant seats. They told me I was welcome to sit, which I did and then as a plane approached the runway and cast some rather lovely light on the mud flats. I shuffled my chair closer to the balcony edge and took some photos. 

Airplane over the mudflats, approaching the runway

The father in the group near whom I was sitting became quite chatty. 

As the time for moonrise approached it became evident there was a cloud bank on the horizon which was disappointing as it had been a clear sky all day. 

At the appointed time the band ceased its music, the lights went down (apart from one very intrusive spotlight) and the didgeridoo player started, which was rather atmospheric. 

It would have been more atmospheric if we could have seen the moon at its moment of rising above the horizon. However, reflected light showed its progress upwards and we finally got a hint of it between the clouds with a little bit of a stairway and then we got it above the clouds but too high to do a full stairway 

A few minutes after moonrise at Roebuck Bay
a partial 'stairway to the moon'

Still it was lovely to see, it was a beautiful environment to see it from and Felicity's recommendation was undoubtedly more civilised and comfortable than finding a spot to perch on the lawns down near town beach.

And I'd had  an evening out, albeit finished and home by 9pm!

Mohammad collected me shortly after I called and he's a very naughty boy: he did not put his metre on for the trip and refused to accept any payment at all. He really is rather sweet. I wished him all success especially for the coming year and his ambition of asking a young woman to marry him, something we had talked about on the earlier trip.