Today we are off to do some snorkelling and head off from Nara Inlet around 9am with a plan to go through the Hook Passage and pick up a mooring off Dumbell Island and then on to Whitehaven Beach. Where we anchor overnight will depent on how the forecast NE breeze develops.
As we exit the Hook Passage and head towards Dumbell Island it appears that both moorings are taken and it is not practical to anchor there, so we change plans and head for Cataran Bay on the Northern end of Border Island. It was not crowded, probably because of the Northerly forecast, so we were able to pick up a mooring and Cooinda anchored.
Once settled we took the dinghy into the shore and were in the water soon after. The tide was getting close to high and the Northerly had stirred up the seabed a bit, so visibility wasn't as good as we had hoped, but nevertheless we spent about an hour looking around before returning to our boats, and pulling up anchor to head for Whitehaven Beach.
As we came around the top of Border Island, all of a sudden 2 whales appeared only about 50 metres from our boat. As usual by the time we located the camera, the had dived almost under us.
In the meantime the NE breeze was strengthening and by the time we got to Whitehaven it was blowing around 15 knots. We dropped anchor and had lunch, but it was too bumpy to get in the dinghy to go ashore. It was unanimously agreed that we were not staying here for the night, as the forecast was for the breeze to hold at around its current strength overnight.
On our way back up to the Hook Passage, we again saw the 2 whales ( we think they must have been the same ones), this time just to the South of Border Island, but now a lot more active putting on quite a show leaping out of the water and slapping their tails.
Whale Breaching off Border Island
In the end we ended up back at Nara Inlet, a bit of a long haul, but a very comfortable anchorage in all conditions.
We got back to Nara at around 5.30pm and lit up the BBQ again for dinner in very calm conditions.
Anchored at Nara Inlet
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