Harry Kreigh
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The diving wasn't exceptional, but I still enjoyed the trip. The Great Escape is a luxurious boat and the Aussie crew and guests made it a wonderful experience. Read all about it!
Trip Report
Rowley Shoals, Western Australia/Great Escape
November 2008
Harry Kreigh/Sacramento, CA
Summary
I took a 7 day trip on the Great Escape (The Great Escape Charter Company ~ Welcome) out of Broome, Western Australia to Rowley Shoals (Mermaid and Clerke Atolls), which lies approximately 180 miles offshore. Eleven passengers (9 Aussies and 2 Americans) were on the boat. The diving was not spectacular in terms of prolific fish life, especially sharks, but was still very good due to some pristine vertical walls with dense hard/soft corals, fans and a variety of fish. The lack of exciting dives (excluding a high-speed channel dive at Mermaid Atoll) was outweighed by the overall enjoyment of the trip due to an enthusiastic/helpful crew and camaraderie among a great group of guests, as well as the luxurious boat and fine dining. We had outstanding weather, sunny (85-90 degrees) with a slight breeze every day. Water conditions were also good (83 degrees with some cooler currents, but no noticeable thermocline) with 40-100 foot visibility and generally calm conditions. Most dives were drifts along walls in slight to moderate currents.
My only complaints about the trip were: 1) except for channel and night dives, divers were picked up by the boat, despite having two tenders available; 2) the tenders are flat metal boats that are very uncomfortable; 3) tanks are filled on the dive platform and returned to the dive deck so divers must change out tanks for each dive; 4) this area is noted for exceptional visibility and large sharks, which we did not experience; and 5) the divemasters strictly enforce the buddy system, requiring teams to enter/exit the water together, regardless of experience/training level; this is a constraint when buddies have different air consumption rates.
Based on the comments of other local divers, with previous experience at Rowley Shoals, we may have been unlucky and experienced a slow week, due to the wrong tides or other temporary deviation from normal conditions. Due to the expense and lengthy travel, I am reluctant to recommend this trip to Americans solely for diving. However, if you are planning a trip to Western Australia, Rowley Shoals is worth consideration (possibly in combination with Exmouth/Ningaloo Reef further south). Also, the diving season is very short (October December).
Boat Facilities/Crew
The Great Escape is a new catamaran (approximately 80 feet long with a 25-28 foot beam) operating in its second season. There are seven spacious cabins (14 passengers) with a mini-fridge, plenty of storage space, adjustable A/C, reading lights and large ensuite bathroom. Soap, shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste are provided. Our cabin was on the top deck behind the wheelhouse. There was very little engine or anchor noise, but occasionally we heard the compressor or radio communications from the wheelhouse. Cabins are serviced daily and linens were changed during the trip. There is a formal dining room that was used only for dinners on the first and last evenings of the trip. All other meals were served on the dive deck. The boat has a huge salon with a decent library, flat screen monitor and small DVD collection (each cabin also has a flat screen monitor for private viewing). The top deck and bow have space to lounge in the sun (cushioned benches on the bow, but no lounge chairs). There is also a spa on the bow, which was not used during the trip. Guests are allowed to use the laundry facilities. Smoking was not a problem on this trip. After the late afternoon dives, hors dÃÐeuvres/snacks were served on the dive deck. Towels were available after the first dive and the same towels (or beach towels from the cabins) were used throughout the day. There are 2 bathrooms (one has a shower) on the dive deck, but most guests used a hose on the dive platform to rinse off after dives. We had two crossings (14-15 hours each) and a short cruise between the atolls (2 hours) and the boat was very stable.
Meals were varied and tasty. A cold breakfast of cereal, juice, fruit and toast was available around 6:30 AM daily. Fried/scrambled eggs with bacon/sausage, fried tomatoes and baked beans were the usual breakfast fare after the first dive. We had pancakes once. Buffet lunches consisted of an entrñÆ (beef, chicken or lamb) with rice or noodles and a side dish. Dinner was served and consisted of roasted meat, potatoes and vegetables with homemade deserts. The cook was very versatile and prepared the dishes in various international styles (stir-fry, curry, etc.).
The crew (staff of 6) was young, enthusiastic and very friendly. They worked hard and made most of the dives with us. Their attitude really enhanced the experience. They are one of the best crews I have ever encountered.
Dive Operations
Tanks (80 cubic feet/steel or aluminum) are stored in racks behind benches along the stern of the dive deck. Each diver has a plastic crate for dive gear that slides under the bench. Tanks were consistently filled to 3000 - 3500 psi. Four dives were scheduled (7:30, 10:30, 1:30 and 4:30) with two night dives offered during the trip. Only three dives were offered on arrival/departure days. Dive briefings were very brief, particularly for wall dives. Entries were from two platforms on the stern. For channel/night dives, divers were loaded into two tenders. The tender drivers followed divers bubbles. Dives were limited to 130 feet for 60 minutes, including a 3-5 minute safety stop. However, most divers surfaced after 45 minutes (due to enforcement of the buddy system, I surfaced with my buddy after 45-50 minutes). A safety sausage was mandatory (I used a Dive-Alert twice). Cyalumes were required for night dives. Due to the absence of critters and unfamiliarity with the sites (first trip of the season, new divemasters, etc.), the divemasters didnÃÕ show us any interesting animals (except a few turtles and sharks).
Diving
Most of the diving was drift dives along vertical or sloping walls in slight to moderate currents. At Mermaid Atoll, the vertical walls were bottomless; whereas, at Clerke Atoll the vertical/sloping walls reached the bottom at about 150 feet. The walls, particularly at Clerke, were densely packed with hard and soft corals (purple and white stalks), fans, black coral and gorgonians. Unfortunately, the sections of pristine corals were short and degraded into rubbly areas or segregated bommies (usually halfway through the dive). Except for occasional sightings of single sharks, turtles or tuna, nothing big was seen swimming along the wall (one manta was seen on top of the wall). We did several channel dives, but only one with a strong current (3-4 mph) and saw several whitetip and gray reef sharks and large groupers. The remaining dives were inside the lagoons around bommies in sand patches. These were aquarium dives with lots of tropical fish species present, including one large, friendly potato cod and a few more sharks than the wall dives. Night dives were unproductive. I didnÃÕ see any lionfish, scorpionfish, lobsters, crabs, sea snakes, cuttlefish or octopus, and only a couple of eels and nudibranchs during the entire trip. There were a few schools of jacks (50-100), barracuda, batfish, fusiliers and triggerfish. The usual surgeons, wrasses, unicorns, butterflies, parrots, angels, sweetlips, Napoleons, Titan triggerfish (non-aggressive) and elegant/fire dartfish were present, as were a few bumphead parrots. There were lots of Tridacna clams of various sizes and colors and a few anemones at each divesite. We did one blue water dive (hung near a line at 120 feet while the divemaster rubbed and squeezed a plastic water bottle to ÅÄall the sharks) and saw several small groups of hammerheads (3-6) and a few silvertips and gray reef sharks. They often see tiger sharks on these dives, but we werenÃÕ that lucky!
I made a total of 24 dives on this trip (including two night dives) and would rate most of them as good with a couple of fair ones (both night dives were poor). A few of the wall dives were outstanding (due to the beauty/condition of the wall, not the marine life).
From the boat we did see a couple of sailfish leaping out of the water and watched a few dolphins cruising in the bow wave. These atolls have the potential for great diving, but we did not experience it.
Travel
Logistically, this is a difficult and long journey from the US. It took me about 1-1/2 days to reach Broome (from LAX, I took Qantas via Melbourne and Perth). This is not a cheap trip either (the airline ticket cost about $2500 and a Panoramic View cabin on the boat cost $5660 [AUD]).
Great Escape staff provided transportation to their office on the day of departure, then to the boat later in the afternoon and to the airport when we returned.
Other Information/Personal Observations
There is a small sandbar (Bedwell Island) at Clerke Atoll with nesting areas for tropic birds (white-tailed and red-tailed) and turtles. We walked around the island and saw several chicks and a turtle skeleton (also lots of cuttlebones had washed ashore, but strangely no cuttlefish were seen by the divers).
I spent one night in Broome at Reflections Bed & Breakfast, less than 2 miles from downtown, owned by a very pleasant retired couple. It was quiet and I had a terrific breakfast of pancakes and fruit. Airport pickup was included. I highly recommend it.
Broome is an interesting, small town that developed as a pearling port (at one time it was the largest producer of mother of pearl buttons in the world and still produces cultured pearls). Besides the Pearl Luggers Museum, there are galleries featuring Aboriginal art and didgeridoos and Sun Pictures, the worldÃÔ oldest outdoor theatre. There are fascinating boab (bottle) trees throughout the town. Broome is also the gateway to the Kimberley region, which is a vast wilderness area with some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Australia.
Trip Report
Rowley Shoals, Western Australia/Great Escape
November 2008
Harry Kreigh/Sacramento, CA
Summary
I took a 7 day trip on the Great Escape (The Great Escape Charter Company ~ Welcome) out of Broome, Western Australia to Rowley Shoals (Mermaid and Clerke Atolls), which lies approximately 180 miles offshore. Eleven passengers (9 Aussies and 2 Americans) were on the boat. The diving was not spectacular in terms of prolific fish life, especially sharks, but was still very good due to some pristine vertical walls with dense hard/soft corals, fans and a variety of fish. The lack of exciting dives (excluding a high-speed channel dive at Mermaid Atoll) was outweighed by the overall enjoyment of the trip due to an enthusiastic/helpful crew and camaraderie among a great group of guests, as well as the luxurious boat and fine dining. We had outstanding weather, sunny (85-90 degrees) with a slight breeze every day. Water conditions were also good (83 degrees with some cooler currents, but no noticeable thermocline) with 40-100 foot visibility and generally calm conditions. Most dives were drifts along walls in slight to moderate currents.
My only complaints about the trip were: 1) except for channel and night dives, divers were picked up by the boat, despite having two tenders available; 2) the tenders are flat metal boats that are very uncomfortable; 3) tanks are filled on the dive platform and returned to the dive deck so divers must change out tanks for each dive; 4) this area is noted for exceptional visibility and large sharks, which we did not experience; and 5) the divemasters strictly enforce the buddy system, requiring teams to enter/exit the water together, regardless of experience/training level; this is a constraint when buddies have different air consumption rates.
Based on the comments of other local divers, with previous experience at Rowley Shoals, we may have been unlucky and experienced a slow week, due to the wrong tides or other temporary deviation from normal conditions. Due to the expense and lengthy travel, I am reluctant to recommend this trip to Americans solely for diving. However, if you are planning a trip to Western Australia, Rowley Shoals is worth consideration (possibly in combination with Exmouth/Ningaloo Reef further south). Also, the diving season is very short (October December).
Boat Facilities/Crew
The Great Escape is a new catamaran (approximately 80 feet long with a 25-28 foot beam) operating in its second season. There are seven spacious cabins (14 passengers) with a mini-fridge, plenty of storage space, adjustable A/C, reading lights and large ensuite bathroom. Soap, shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste are provided. Our cabin was on the top deck behind the wheelhouse. There was very little engine or anchor noise, but occasionally we heard the compressor or radio communications from the wheelhouse. Cabins are serviced daily and linens were changed during the trip. There is a formal dining room that was used only for dinners on the first and last evenings of the trip. All other meals were served on the dive deck. The boat has a huge salon with a decent library, flat screen monitor and small DVD collection (each cabin also has a flat screen monitor for private viewing). The top deck and bow have space to lounge in the sun (cushioned benches on the bow, but no lounge chairs). There is also a spa on the bow, which was not used during the trip. Guests are allowed to use the laundry facilities. Smoking was not a problem on this trip. After the late afternoon dives, hors dÃÐeuvres/snacks were served on the dive deck. Towels were available after the first dive and the same towels (or beach towels from the cabins) were used throughout the day. There are 2 bathrooms (one has a shower) on the dive deck, but most guests used a hose on the dive platform to rinse off after dives. We had two crossings (14-15 hours each) and a short cruise between the atolls (2 hours) and the boat was very stable.
Meals were varied and tasty. A cold breakfast of cereal, juice, fruit and toast was available around 6:30 AM daily. Fried/scrambled eggs with bacon/sausage, fried tomatoes and baked beans were the usual breakfast fare after the first dive. We had pancakes once. Buffet lunches consisted of an entrñÆ (beef, chicken or lamb) with rice or noodles and a side dish. Dinner was served and consisted of roasted meat, potatoes and vegetables with homemade deserts. The cook was very versatile and prepared the dishes in various international styles (stir-fry, curry, etc.).
The crew (staff of 6) was young, enthusiastic and very friendly. They worked hard and made most of the dives with us. Their attitude really enhanced the experience. They are one of the best crews I have ever encountered.
Dive Operations
Tanks (80 cubic feet/steel or aluminum) are stored in racks behind benches along the stern of the dive deck. Each diver has a plastic crate for dive gear that slides under the bench. Tanks were consistently filled to 3000 - 3500 psi. Four dives were scheduled (7:30, 10:30, 1:30 and 4:30) with two night dives offered during the trip. Only three dives were offered on arrival/departure days. Dive briefings were very brief, particularly for wall dives. Entries were from two platforms on the stern. For channel/night dives, divers were loaded into two tenders. The tender drivers followed divers bubbles. Dives were limited to 130 feet for 60 minutes, including a 3-5 minute safety stop. However, most divers surfaced after 45 minutes (due to enforcement of the buddy system, I surfaced with my buddy after 45-50 minutes). A safety sausage was mandatory (I used a Dive-Alert twice). Cyalumes were required for night dives. Due to the absence of critters and unfamiliarity with the sites (first trip of the season, new divemasters, etc.), the divemasters didnÃÕ show us any interesting animals (except a few turtles and sharks).
Diving
Most of the diving was drift dives along vertical or sloping walls in slight to moderate currents. At Mermaid Atoll, the vertical walls were bottomless; whereas, at Clerke Atoll the vertical/sloping walls reached the bottom at about 150 feet. The walls, particularly at Clerke, were densely packed with hard and soft corals (purple and white stalks), fans, black coral and gorgonians. Unfortunately, the sections of pristine corals were short and degraded into rubbly areas or segregated bommies (usually halfway through the dive). Except for occasional sightings of single sharks, turtles or tuna, nothing big was seen swimming along the wall (one manta was seen on top of the wall). We did several channel dives, but only one with a strong current (3-4 mph) and saw several whitetip and gray reef sharks and large groupers. The remaining dives were inside the lagoons around bommies in sand patches. These were aquarium dives with lots of tropical fish species present, including one large, friendly potato cod and a few more sharks than the wall dives. Night dives were unproductive. I didnÃÕ see any lionfish, scorpionfish, lobsters, crabs, sea snakes, cuttlefish or octopus, and only a couple of eels and nudibranchs during the entire trip. There were a few schools of jacks (50-100), barracuda, batfish, fusiliers and triggerfish. The usual surgeons, wrasses, unicorns, butterflies, parrots, angels, sweetlips, Napoleons, Titan triggerfish (non-aggressive) and elegant/fire dartfish were present, as were a few bumphead parrots. There were lots of Tridacna clams of various sizes and colors and a few anemones at each divesite. We did one blue water dive (hung near a line at 120 feet while the divemaster rubbed and squeezed a plastic water bottle to ÅÄall the sharks) and saw several small groups of hammerheads (3-6) and a few silvertips and gray reef sharks. They often see tiger sharks on these dives, but we werenÃÕ that lucky!
I made a total of 24 dives on this trip (including two night dives) and would rate most of them as good with a couple of fair ones (both night dives were poor). A few of the wall dives were outstanding (due to the beauty/condition of the wall, not the marine life).
From the boat we did see a couple of sailfish leaping out of the water and watched a few dolphins cruising in the bow wave. These atolls have the potential for great diving, but we did not experience it.
Travel
Logistically, this is a difficult and long journey from the US. It took me about 1-1/2 days to reach Broome (from LAX, I took Qantas via Melbourne and Perth). This is not a cheap trip either (the airline ticket cost about $2500 and a Panoramic View cabin on the boat cost $5660 [AUD]).
Great Escape staff provided transportation to their office on the day of departure, then to the boat later in the afternoon and to the airport when we returned.
Other Information/Personal Observations
There is a small sandbar (Bedwell Island) at Clerke Atoll with nesting areas for tropic birds (white-tailed and red-tailed) and turtles. We walked around the island and saw several chicks and a turtle skeleton (also lots of cuttlebones had washed ashore, but strangely no cuttlefish were seen by the divers).
I spent one night in Broome at Reflections Bed & Breakfast, less than 2 miles from downtown, owned by a very pleasant retired couple. It was quiet and I had a terrific breakfast of pancakes and fruit. Airport pickup was included. I highly recommend it.
Broome is an interesting, small town that developed as a pearling port (at one time it was the largest producer of mother of pearl buttons in the world and still produces cultured pearls). Besides the Pearl Luggers Museum, there are galleries featuring Aboriginal art and didgeridoos and Sun Pictures, the worldÃÔ oldest outdoor theatre. There are fascinating boab (bottle) trees throughout the town. Broome is also the gateway to the Kimberley region, which is a vast wilderness area with some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Australia.
