Giant Tides - Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm and Horizontal Falls

Departing Broome, you track over the Chinatown district of Broome, sweeping over Roebuck Bay and surrounds. The flight path takes you over Malcolm Douglas Crocodile farm and the Broome Road before heading towards the Dampier Peninsula.

As you fly past the millions of hectares of station land, rich in Aboriginal Heritage, your pilot will regale you with stories and the history of the area before you enter the area known as the Buccaneer Archipelago. Looming ahead will be the Kimbolton Ranges, an ancient coastal seabed of the region. These ancient relics are the product of a once Devonian reef system. The thousands of islands that form the Buccaneer Archipelago become distinct. You are now over pristine pearl farming waters where only a few pearl farms of the archipelago become visible. Photo opportunities abound here.

The Horizontal Waterfalls soon come into sight as the aircraft is positioned to get the perfect view from the window. This magnificent example of Mother Nature’s power is closely aligned between the gorges of the McLarty Range, located in Talbot Bay. The Horizontal Falls are a fast moving tidal flow through two narrow fingers, the direction of the flow reverses with each change of tide. As tides in the Kimberley can reach ten metres, a peak tide gives rise to a significant difference in the sea level on either side of each gorge, which creates the rushing water and illusion of the Horizontal Falls.

Flying over Talbot Bay, the home of the famous Paspaley Pearling Empire, you see the hundreds of long lines each housing the valuable oysters that cultivate the pearl. Your Pilot weaves through the islands of Cockatoo and Koolan (mining empires) and heads towards Cape Leveque where the red rock cliffs meet the white sandy beaches bordering the pristine blue waters.

At Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm you are escorted on a tour to take you behind the scenes of one of Australia’s most secretive industries. You are taken on the sea to view a real-life working pearl farm, offering you the unique opportunity to witness the beauty of this area from the water as well as from the air. Cruise through the Kimberley rock islands in the Sunday Island group on the powerful boat and view the standing waves and whirlpools- *NOTE* If the tides are in neaps the boat will cruise the island group, created by this region’s giant tidal movements.
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At the end of this incredible boat tour enjoy the opportunity to browse Cygnet Bay’s stunning loose pearls and exquisite pearl jewellery. You might like to take the opportunity to purchase your own. You will then feast on a delicious gourmet lunch at the Cygnet Bay Restaurant. After lunch, you head back to the skies for a quick forty five minutes of flying back to Broome.

On the return to Broome expect to won­der at Lombadina, Beagle Bay, James Price Point, Pender Bay, Willie Creek, Cable Beach, Broome Town and Roe­buck Bay from a unique point of view!