Journal Journeys: Talbot Bay, in the Kimberley
Jan 20th, 2011 by wwftravel
- © Mike Osmond/WWF
Travel writer Bill Altaffer shared a portion of his travelogue on touring The Kimberley region in Australia with us. In this installment, he describes the cliffs and waterfalls of Talbot Bay.
The entire Kimberley Coast is a geologist’s dream.
The red sandstone cliffs keep a dramatic record of forces and processes that occurred over millions of years, including sedimentary layering, up-thrusting, folding and buckling. Every cliff has visible layers of rock, some tilted vertically and folder back over, creating a very beautiful, unique landscape.
At Talbot Bay, there are two rows of sandstone cliffs with narrow gaps in them, allowing water to flow between the rows of cliffs and behind onto the shore. The tidal bore of this area is the third largest in the world, with daily tides of 30 feet.
When these huge quantities of water surge through these narrow gaps, the result is the dramatic Horizontal Falls. The water cannot flow through the gaps as rapidly as the tidal forces move it, which creates cascades through the gaps, with water levels differing by several yards on either side.
Another highlight of this perfectly enjoyable cruise in our seated zodiacs was spinning in whirlpools and vortices when we cruised between the two cliffs. Due to the specific geology of the area between the cliffs, the tidal forces created these whirlpools in one area. They formed and then died out, over and over. We cruised between them and on their edges and occasionally right into them for an experience unlike any I had ever had before.
In addition to its geological uniqueness, Talbot Bay also has significant bird life and gave us our first sighting of a salty (a salt water crocodile).
Join WWF on a cruise through The Kimberley, August 4-14, 2011.
Reprinted with permission.
