Goin’ Cruising #8
Day Six – Willis Island/Sea Day
We farewelled Port Douglas and sailed overnight in an easterly direction, out into the Coral Sea. Our destination was Willis Island, a tiny speck of land 450 km from the mainland. From our vantage point on Deck 7 of Pacific Dawn, the island seemed completely alone in the open ocean, but it is actually one of three small sandy coral cays.
The whole island is 500 metres long, 150 metres wide and at its highest just 9 metres above sea level, although from a distance it didn’t even look that big.
A cluster of buildings house a weather monitoring station for the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and the four meteorologists who live there provide vital weather data, especially during cyclone season.
The sky above the island is filled with dozens of large seabirds, one moment soaring high and the next swooping low over the water. Some came close to the ship, flying over and around us as if they were inspecting the intruders in this isolated place.
I’ve actually never seen Willis Island and I thought it was a lot bigger than this. Wow – it’s tiny! 😀
It is. I can’t imagine living there for six months at a time like the meteorologists do. One came on board to tell us about the island and I wondered if it felt like a mini holiday to him!
Haaaa. So true! 😀
It is so little. I can’t imagine living there for six months at a time.
Wow – the fact that the meteorologists are on that tiny speck during cyclone season is enough to make me feel quite uneasy/queasy! I rather imagine your big ship could run it over in a storm!
I read that when Cyclone Yasi passed directly over the island in 2011 the scientists had already been evacuated. I reckon in a big storm the island would go completely under. It was so tiny out there.
Yes, that’s my feeling too – brave people!
The firmament above and the birds seems so perfect to look at. And I couldn’t evade to drench myself with the inviting blue water. Amazing!
Thank you. It was quite spectacular to see this tiny island in the middle of the ocean.
Hope you enjoyed Willis Island. It is a new island to me. Love the photo of birds flying overhead. Thanks for sharing your cruise.
We didn’t leave the ship here, just sailed past very slowly while listening to a commentary from one of the resident meteorologists. It was very interesting.
It’s amazing to contemplate what living on the island must be like. Hope those 6 get along!
True. You wouldn’t want any strident personalities!
Very interesting. The seas look like they might have been rough but the sky was a beautiful blue for sure. 🙂
Actually the sea was not really rough at all, which made our cruise so pleasant. As Elaine said in an earlier, these big ships are so stable. Isn’t the sky amazing.
I’ve never heard of this island before. An interesting post Carol!
I didn’t know about it either Lorraine and the meteorologists do such important work here.
Awesome place. I have never heard about it. Lovely photos, which I enjoyed very much. Thank You.
I hadn’t heard of it either, and I live here!
How extraordinary to have buildings out there! We have sandbars very similar off the Algarve but they are sometimes submerged! 🙂
I think this island might go under during a big storm too. I can’t imagine living all the way out there.
This is so strange . . . something is up with WordPress. I discovered today that I don’t get notices from a blog I follow and now it says I don’t follow you anymore. What is up with that?
Anyway, could the blue in those photos be any more blue? Lovely.
Are you able to re-follow? I had that problem with a blog I’d been following for ages and I tried to follow again and it just wouldn’t work. I don’t get email notifications any more but in my Reader it says I’m following. It’s annoying.
The day we passed by the island it was so beautiful, not a cloud in the sky.
I hit follow so we will see if you magically reappear in my in-box. I never think to go to my reader. Maybe I should make the switch, but I am a creature of habit.
No kidding, no clouds! Wow.
Let’s hope so.
It seems to have worked! I got an email saying you are following.
I love all that beautiful blue. Great shot of the inquisitive sea birds. 🙂
They were difficult to capture because they were moving so fast. I think Mr ET took this one. I’ll tell him you like it.
😎
Doesn’t it get overflown with water, I mean, that tiny island? What when there are storms?
It might if there was a cyclone. It’s a scary thought.
It looks so desolate, I’ve never heard of Willis Island before
Neither had we, until this cruise. It was so isolated.
Gosh, on an island that size, you’d really want to get along with your co-workers, wouldn’t you?
There wouldn’t be much privacy. Too bad if you weren’t fussed on someone.
. It looks so desolate, I’ve never heard of Willis Island before
We hadn’t either. I wouldn’t like to be there in a big storm.