I don’t imagine I will ever have an experience like this again.
After a week or so catching up with family and friends, we flew from Melbourne just before its coldest day in almost 20 years. In stark contrast, when we arrived in the Whitsundays the weather was continuing its run of warm, sunny days. For some time we had been looking forward to joining Paul and Helen on a trip to the outer reefs. The outlook over the next few days was for very calm seas, perfect for exploring Bait Reef some 34 nautical miles (63 kilometres) northeast of Airlie Beach. So on Thursday we jumped aboard Carpe Diem and made our way to Blue Pearl Bay on Hayman Island, our half-way overnight staging post.
We saw many whales along the way. We arrived at Blue Pearl Bay in the afternoon and had time for some snorkelling. As the sun set on a cloudless red sky, reflecting from the horizon across a flat sea, we continued to see whales in the distance. That night, the boat lay motionless on the glassy water. At 2:30am it was so quiet we could hear the faint calls of whales through the hull. Then at 3:00am we heard the unmistakable sound of a whale taking a breath as it surfaced. Catherine and I jumped out of bed and strained to look through the darkness. Although we couldn’t see the whale, we could hear it passing close by, maybe only 60 metres away.
We cast off at sunrise on Friday morning and set a course directly to Bait Reef. Unlike most destinations where we can see landmarks, Bait Reef is an offshore reef surrounded by a featureless ocean. GPS navigation was essential because the only indication of its location was a small buoy. We timed the 2½ hour trip to arrive mid-morning so that the sun was high enough to help us see the submerged reef under the calm water.
We arrived on target and entered the reef carefully through a gap in The Stepping Stones and then threaded our way to a mooring inside the coral reef. The Stepping Stones are a series of “bommies” along the edge of the reef, vertical columns standing in 15-20 metres of water with flat tops that appear like stepping stones for a giant Neptune. (Have a look at the Chart page and zoom in to Bait Reef to see our track on Google Maps.) As low tide approached, we got a great view from high up the mast of the reef surrounding us.
The snorkelling at Bait Reef was the best we had encountered in the Whitsundays. We saw plenty of colourful fish among the coral in clear water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj3DBndwvpc?rel=0
While exploring one of the Stepping Stones, we had one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. We were startled by a whale that surfaced unexpectedly right next to the reef where we were snorkelling. It lay there for a moment, its long grey back shining in the sun and most of its bulk hidden below the surface. Its massive body heaved when it took a breath. The whale turned towards us and as we looked down its humped spine we realised that we had drifted with the current off the reef and into deep water. We swam back over the reef and watched the massive whale in awe. It could not have been more than 15 metres away. After a short time the whale slipped under the water and disappeared into the dark blue sea. It was exciting swimming that close to one of the largest creatures of the sea, an experience we will never forget.
We returned to Langford Island (next to Hayman Island) that afternoon, still reeling from our astonishing trip to Bait Reef. The calm weather continued so we picked up a mooring for the night at One Foot Island, so called because at high tide all that remains is a small patch of sand just above sea level. Normally too exposed for staying overnight, we were pleasantly surprised that we had this beautiful spot to ourselves. The cloudless sky was perfect for another stunning sunset, spotting an Iridium satellite flare and gazing at the star-filled heavens. During the night we thought we could hear a turtle swimming past. Once again Catherine and I jumped out of bed in the middle of the night and discovered the splashing was a huge school of fish which jumped into the air in waves by the hundreds as we swept a torch light across the water.
On Saturday the weather was still calm and we took the opportunity to explore a good reef on Border Island recommended to us by a local. Throughout the day we continued to see whales and by this stage we had already lost count of how many.
We spent the night at Cateran Bay and on Sunday made our way back to Airlie Beach, recalling along the way our memorable trip to Bait Reef and spectacular experiences with whales.
A big thank you to Paul and Helen for a fun weekend and an unforgettable adventure to Bait Reef. Happy Hour every afternoon, fish on the BBQ and the slow roast lamb were other highlights we especially enjoyed.
Debonnaire 