Early risers were treated to one of those magnificent sunrises which generated high expectations for the day to come, and expectations became a reality. A few seabirds glided by, some passing groups of spinner dolphins (always producing a show!) and many, many flying fish were spotted before breakfast. We then disembarked for water-based activities which took place from a nice beach. In the afternoon we paid a visit to Kupang, including a visit to the incredible local market and time to enjoy some cultural activities.
7/25/2024
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National Geographic Orion
Swift Bay
We arrived at Swift Bay where most of us went on a fabulous helicopter ride over the Mitchell Plateau. The whole trip took two hours including a walk at Mitchell Falls. The little bay we started from slowly filled with water and the tide was so fast that it rose more than one meter per hour. Alternatively, our expedition team took those on a Zodiac cruise who opted to stay on the ground. When we returned, the scenery looked entirely different. After lunch we had another exciting tour, this time to a Wandjina art site. We admired a long gallery of ancestral spirits, some three meters long, as well as a variety of animals, which are significant to the local Aboriginal people. This is evidence that hunting and gathering was practiced thousands of years ago and is documented in art. The ship set off towards Darwin and we enjoyed an excellent presentation by Brad Siviour about the crocodiles we had come so close to yesterday. The day concluded with our favorite drink during cocktail hour while we witnessed another red sky sunset.