Day 16 Cruise Adele Island

Today we cruised to Adele Island appearing 65 miles away from Kimberley’s rugged coast. The changeable sands of the island expand and contract with the contented sighs of the tides, and wide sandbanks ebb and flow with the whims of the water. At the core of Adele Island is a gorgeous tidal lagoon, rich in biodiversity. The island is a thriving ocean outpost for breeding birds and turtles, and the hospitable waters form a lively nursery for young humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins.

Unfortunately the seas were too rough and the currents too strong for our planned zodiac tour of the island and instead the ship sailed to the "Iron Islands" of the Kimberley refer to Cockatoo Island and Koolan Island in the Buccaneer Archipelago, located about 130 km north of Derby, Western Australia. Renowned for some of the world's highest-grade iron ore (up to 69% Fe). Rugged cliffs of deep orange ochre have been forged by powerful tidal flows and tectonic pressure over thousands of years. Geological forces have really gone to town here. Buckles, dips, folds, strikes, synclines and anticlines all seem to contribute to a stratigraphic mish mash of texture and colour.












We will stay anchored in the bay overnight and go to Horizontal Falls tomorrow only a short distance away.