Fishing with a difference

Before breakfast we are fishing with a difference. Not trying to catch fish for ourselves to eat. Not catching fish for sport. No, we are watching dolphins in the wild coming to the shoreline for a feed. This is no crass, commercial, dolphin show in a tank. Since Pre-European times the dolphins have been coming here to be fed. Several decades ago a couple of scientists from the US visited and were horrified that these wild animals were being overfed and harmed by humans in the process. The program is now run as a rigorous scientific project funded by the WA National Parks. The dolphins receive only ten percent of their daily needs. The humans love it, but so too do the dolphins, who come as much for the social interaction as for the fish. No pens, no patting, no tricks, no hype just a crystal-clear morning and several dolphins enjoying a free breakfast. They also give us a dramatic demonstration of their own fishing skills. Watching a large dolphin accelerate to rapid speed just metres from the shoreline, as a small fish does his best, including a few skips into the air, to unsuccessfully avoid becoming breakfast, is amazing.

 

Monkey Mia is quite a flash, but very remote, resort/caravan park on the eastern side of Shark Bay, not far from where the Dutch tourist Dirk Hartog nailed a pewter plate to a tree in 1616. It is also very close to the most western point of the Australian mainland. After yesterday’s rain, the weather today is clear, mild and warm.

Deflation is almost never good. Economically it comes with all sorts of complications. In 4WD terms deflation is something the serious off roaders do. To travel to the extremes of the Francois Peron National Park requires tyre deflation to avoid getting bogged in the sand. We think this is beyond us, until we meet the ranger who gives us information, advice and lots of encouragement to give it a go. The park provides an air pressure hose, so we ‘seize the day’ and deflate!

The 44km track is rough, sandy and challenging but not beyond Izzy (our deflated Isuzu D Max). The destination is Cape Peron where the desert meets the sea. We delight in the turquoise water, clear skies, iron red cliffs, huge fish and masses of sea birds as we walk 3km along the cliff tops through red desert sand.

Walking back along the beach a mother dolphin and her calf are catching fish just three metres from where we walk along the water’s edge. Just like this morning the dolphins seem to be delighted to share this remarkable part of Australia with us.