Saturday 31st May - Sunday 15th June 2008

Humpback, Southern Right and Sperm Whales; Orcas; Bottlenose and Indo-Pacific Dolphins; Dugongs; giant Manta and Eagle Rays; Whale Sharks, other sharks and turtles. These are just some of the fabulous marine creatures that we hope to see as we explore the Ningaloo Reef, Shark Bay, Bunbury, Cape Leeuwin, Augusta and Albany. As well as observing these species from boats and beaches, stronger swimmers have the opportunity to swim, snorkel or dive with Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and Bottlenose Dolphins on this special tour.

First we must fly to Perth, Western Australia's capital, and from there to Exmouth, just an hour's drive from Coral Bay, which lies at the heart of the Ningaloo Reef and is our base for the next five nights. The reef, protected as a Marine Park, stretches for 260 kilometres and, unlike the Great Barrier Reef, is an onshore reef that begins on the white sandy beach and extends for a couple of kilometres out into the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. This is the largest fringing reef in the world; its clear, shallow waters (just three to ten metres in depth) providing a magical environment for divers and snorkellers, including novices and first-timers.

Over 500 different species of fish are found here, living amongst over 220 species of coral, and during our stay we will spend much time snorkelling amongst them from the beach. We will also spend a day aboard our own chartered vessel, stopping to snorkel at a number of the best sites and exploring the inner reef in search of its rays and sharks, the Green, Loggerhead and Hawksbill Turtles which feed year-round on the beds of sea-grass, both Bottlenose and Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins, the occasional whale, and seabirds. On another day we will explore the nearby Cape Range National Park, a rugged region of hills, limestone canyons, semi-arid bushland, mangrove-fringed creeks and lagoons and pristine beaches. Here Emus and Red Kangaroos are abundant, as are a wide range of snakes, lizards and colourful birds. Two free days then allow you to pick your own excursions from the many available at Coral Bay. You might wish to snorkel with the Whale Sharks beyond the reef or with the Manta Rays within it, or join a diving excursion. A scenic flight over the reef is ideal for spotting turtles, rays and sharks; whilst whale-watching trips by air or by boat can provide sightings of Humpback Whales, and sometimes Orcas, Pilot and Bryde's Whales.

Next we drive south to the vast coastal wilderness of Shark Bay, where we stay for two nights at Monkey Mia, one of the few places in the world where wild Bottlenose Dolphins come ashore to associate with man. Our main goal here, though, will be to cruise on the waters of Shark Bay in search of its most famous resident, the Dugong. The Bay has a substantial population of this mythical species, and we will endeavour to spot them as they surface for air, and dive down again, mermaid tail waving in the air! We are also likely to see turtles sunbathing at the surface of the Bay's waters, and will keep a special look out for the Bay's chief predator - the Tiger Shark - of which there is a healthy population!

Flying south to Perth and heading on to the cooler regions in the south-western corner of 'WA', we stop first in Bunbury, another of those few places where interaction between humans and wild Bottlenose Dolphins occurs naturally and on a regular basis. Here we take a cruise into Koombana Bay, hopefully encountering some of its many resident dolphins, and perhaps snorkelling amongst them from the beach or the boat. Further south, we spend two nights in Augusta, whale-watching in Flinders Bay where, at this season, many Humpback Whales gather to feed and rest on their northbound migration. Southern Right Whales, too, occur - spending the 'austral winter' months mating and calving close to the beaches - and Bottlenose and Common Dolphins, New Zealand Fur Seals and a host of wintering Southern Ocean albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters may also be seen.

Finally, we move to Albany for our last two nights. Albany is the most historic town in 'WA', being the first site of British settlement in the state in the early part of the nineteenth century, as well as one of the country's main whaling stations, and the last to close down in 1978. Today, the Southern Right Whales have returned in good numbers to the bays around the town, and can be seen both from the headlands and beaches, as well as from daily whale-watching cruises. Off-shore, on the continental shelf, pods of Sperm Whales are found and, should enough of our party wish, it may be possible to conclude our epic study of WA's rich marine-life by chartering a flight to view these toothed whales as they dive for giant squid.