Do you want to meet the snubbies?

It’s no secret that the whale watching season buzz has commenced, as they travel between their feeding grounds of Antarctica and the warmer waters of Australia.

But in Broome, there is an all-year round abundance of wildlife, with one very unique and not so well-known mammal often taking centre stage.

Earlier this month, I was able to tick a special item off my ‘Broome List’ with an afternoon Eco Cruise to see the Snubfin dolphins of Roebuck Bay. I chose a Broome Whale Watching cruise for a few reasons.

Why Broome Whale Watching?

This local company has a strong focus on the ‘eco’ part of the cruise. Their commitment to keeping plastics out of the ocean by not using any single-use plastics in their food and beverage services was a fundamental part of their ethos and was supported by their on-board actions.

At the same time, it was also a great opportunity to ‘test the waters’ and try out the company for a future whale watching tour. I will be first in line when the whales arrive in Broome.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Going…going…gone

The joy of wildlife

Snubfin dolphins were first recognised as a new species only in 2005. They have a blunt rounded head, no beak and a small dorsal fin with a fin that is blunt and rounded.

Our cruise was abundant with marine life from the start, in fact the first part of the cruise was an all-sides viewing of dolphins (snubfin and bottlenose), 2 types of turtles and a hammerhead shark as well as various other bird and fish.

All you have to do is try and take a good photo. Easy. Photographing dolphins is a challenge which I am still working on, but I must admit the slower moving snubfins provided some exciting and fun opportunities to observe and capture a few images.

Sunset over Roebuck Bay

Broome is known for its sunsets and the cruise finished with a relaxed spin around the bay, followed by a hint of a tune as the sun set over the red pindan cliffs. As soon as it finished, I wanted to go out again. A good sign of a great experience.