Kimberley Coastal Expedition

Arrive in Broome, where we'll meet you at the airport and transfer you to your expedition ship, Ponant's Le Jacques Cartier. As the newest addition to Ponant's Explorers fleet, Le Jacques Cartier offers a vast array of amenities including an outdoor swimming pool, a spa, hammam, theatre, and personalised service. Get to know your fellow travellers in one of the luxurious shared spaces, while sipping a cool drink. Savour your first exquisite meal on board, experiencing Ponant's renowned cuisine, embedded in French culinary traditions, and celebrate the adventures that await.

The Lacepede Islands are Western Australia’s most important breeding habitat for Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) and have been named by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The breeding colony of Brown Boobies is possibly the largest in the world. Up to 20,000 Roseate Terns have also been recorded here. Join your Expedition Team for a guided Zodiac tour to view the prolific wildlife. There’s further promise of turquoise waters this afternoon as your ship arrives in the Buccaneer Archipelago, home to more than 800 islands. This evening, enjoy a captain’s welcome dinner.

Explore Talbot Bay and Cyclone Creek. Accompanied by your Expedition Team Leader, you’ll weave nimbly past the dramatic folds of rock formations, keeping a look out for local wildlife.

Signature Experience – Horizontal Falls

Today, your ship cruises to Talbot Bay, known for its massive 12-metre tides that create the unique Horizontal Falls. Subject to tidal conditions, board a Zodiac with your Expedition Team to view this natural phenomenon up close.

Today, visit Montgomery Reef and Freshwater Cove, where you will enjoy a Signature Experience at each destionation.

Signature Experience – Montgomery Reef

Following your visit to Freshwater Cove, depart with your Expedition Team to discover Montgomery Reef by Zodiac. Soak in the amazing scenes as Montgomery Reef dramatically rises out of the ocean as a result of the region’s strong tides. Cruise through narrow channels between the world’s largest inshore reef as you admire the spectacle, and the incredible wildlife exposed by the cascading water.

Explore Bigge Island, located off the coast of mainland Australia. Discover ancient Wandjina rock art found on cliffs and cave walls of the Island. See example of first contact art depicting foreign maritime visitors and European tall ships dating back to the 15th century. The contact art sits alongside much older traditional sacred Wandjina and Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) rock art dating back 5,000 years.

Venture to Prince Frederick Harbour today, home to the towering red cliffs and tangled mangroves of Hunter River and Porosus Creek. With its extreme tides and pristine ecosystems, the harbour and its waterways are rich in wildlife including mudskippers and saltwater crocodiles. Porosus Creek takes its name from the scientific name for the saltwater crocodile, the magnificent creature we hope to today. Keen birdwatchers should keep a close watch for kingfishers, egrets, herons and white-bellied sea eagles.

Explore Swift Bay, one of the Kimberley coast’s most captivating destinations. Fringed by rugged sandstone cliffs and sheltered turquoise waters, the bay is well known for its ancient Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) and Wandjina rock art painted on the walls of caves and rock overhangs, estimated to have been created at least 5,000 years ago. Join expert guides on Zodiac excursions and on land as they reveal spectacular scenery and timeless Indigenous heritage. Keep watch for sea eagles, turtles and other wildlife as you explore this untouched wilderness.

For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you have the option to embark on a thrilling Enrich Your Experience activity.

Enrich Your Experience – Mitchell Falls Scenic Helicopter Flight

Soar above the breathtaking Mitchell Falls on a scenic helicopter flight and enjoy an exhilarating, once-in-a-lifetime experience (additional expense).

This morning, join your Expedition Team on an intriguing discovery. Walk across salt flats to view the wreckage of a US Air Force C-53, which crash-landed near Vansittart Bay during World War II. Later, we reposition in the bay to visit Jar Island and discover the island’s outstanding rock art gallery. During your exploration here, you’ll see fascinating examples of Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) paintings, dating back more than 20,000 years.

Today, your ship cruises into Koolama Bay. Learn about how this bay was renamed following the Japanese bombing of the MV Koolama in 1942. Afterwards, join your Expedition Team aboard a Zodiac to meander through King George River’s gorge system, passing mangrove-fringed coves and sheer red cliffs.

Signature Experience – King George Falls

Get up close and personal to the magnificent King George Falls, where the King George River tumbles 80 metres down from lofty sandstone cliffs. You’ll be able to experience its power as your Zodiac creeps close to the iconic waterfall.

Enjoy a relaxed day at sea as your ship sails towards Darwin. Perhaps take a refreshing dip in the outdoor swimming pool, unwind in the wellness centre, where you can or indulge in a massage (additional expense), edit your photos while sipping your favourite drink, or attend an informative lecture in the theatre, hosted by your expert Expedition team.

Disembark in Darwin this morning and bid farewell to your ship before you are transferred to the airport.