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owley Shoals is located about 260km west of Broome on the north-western Australian coast, at the edge of one of the widest continental shelves in the world. Life here is governed by the extreme tides, which pour in and out of the oval-shaped atolls via narrow natural channels, creating racing currents, which makes for some truly adrenalin-filled drift diving. Much of the diving is done on the outside of the three coral atolls, where the walls plunge down into 50m-400m depth, and drifting through the channels. The drifts can be gentle, or swift, depending on the state of the tide, and the water is a very comfortable 27 degrees C to 28 degrees C. With more than 200 species of coral and 700 species of fish, residents of the reefs include coral trout, clownfish, humphead parrotfish, Maori wrasse, Spanish mackerel, giant potato cod, dogtooth tuna and green turtles.
Mermaid Reef – Mermaid Reef is 15km long and 8km wide, with no landmass that remains after high tide, which makes it a National Marine Reserve under Commonwealth management. Therefore, no fishing of any sort is permitted on this reef and out to a designated zone approximately 1km off the reefs’ outer perimeter. Clerke Reef – Clerke Reef is 16km long and 8km wide and has a permanent sandy cay at the northern end of the atoll named Bedwell Island. Imperieuse Reef – Imperieuse Reef is 18km long and 8km wide, with small portion of sand that remains after the highwater mark called Cunningham Island. Originally it was on this sandy cay that a scientific recording post was established, one of only two stainless steel lighthouses that exist in Australia. Over the years, Cunningham Island has shifted around and now the lighthouse juts up out of shallow water.
Getting here
Diving Rowley Shoals
There is a small selection of dive liveaboards to choose from, all of which operate cruises of the rugged Kimberley Coast for most of the year outside the Rowley Shoals season. These include Odyssey Expeditions, a mid-range 24-metre catamaran with spacious air-conditioned cabins and shared facilities, Great Escape, a 26-metre catamaran with ensuite air-conditioned cabins, and for a truly high-end luxury cruise experience, True North. Top Tip: because the season is so short, spots on the Rowley Shoals liveaboards quickly get booked up. It pays to plan ahead and book at least a year in advance.
Three Ancient Atolls
The Rowley Shoals shelf atolls arise from depths of between 300m and 700m. They are the most-perfect examples of shelf atolls in Australian waters, believed to have formed over 10 million years ago. In comparison, the Great Barrier Reef is believed to have formed only two million years ago. There are three atolls:
Most liveaboard itineraries focus on Clerk and Mermaid Atolls, with a rare few also including Imperious Atoll. Here’s a guide to the sites you’re likely to experience on a Rowley Shoals liveaboard expedition.
Clerke Atoll
Typical Rowley Shoals itineraries include three to four days diving Clerke Atoll, over half the week-long liveaboard trip, and you’ll see why – with such an abundance and diversity of dive sites.
Clerke Aquarium
Clerke Aquarium is usually the first dive, a check-out dive in a shallow,
Rowley Shoals was so named by Captain Philip Parker King in 1818 in honour of Captain Rowley, who first sighted Imperieuse Reef in 1800. It is believed the Shoals were visited by Indonesian fishermen from at least the mid-18th century.
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