The Great Barrier Reef and Dwarf Minke Whales

4th of July 2008 It is only 1900 and above their is already a star speckled dark Australian night. Their are no city lights to wash out the stars this far north in Australia. We are about 130 miles north of the closest real city.

The fireworks would be starting about right now if I where back in the States. Technically not, as it's only 3 July in the USA right now. Over the past five years I have been treated to some amazing front row-on the water fireworks vantage points. I love fireworks... I hope that I never get to a point that I don't get totally jazzed up about a good fireworks display. I miss them tonight.

Their is plenty to keep me busy tonight on the 4th of July as I navigate through a narrow section of the shipping lane that runs inside the Great Barrier Reef. With the stark darkness outside, I rely totally on the MaxSea chart platter and the Furuno radar to guide us through the tight pass. On one side of the pass is Mt. Thomas - a large mountain jutting up from the waters edge, and one half mile across from that is the hungry Gibbon Reef, lurking there static, ready to snare a lazy navigator.

Their is fishing vessel off the starboard side in the pass, I grab the binoculars, step out side the protection of the pilot house to have a better look. I'm immediately hit by a blast of the Coral Sea's stinging salt spray. Since we left Lizard Island we have been laboring through 30 knot apparent winds and 1.5 meter stubborn seas - on the nose. I am reminded how spoiled we have been with our circumnavigation route that is routed and planned with the worldwide seasonal wind patterns (trade winds) working in our favor. Pushing us downwind to our next destination rather than clawing upwind against them.

We are heading back to Cairns after an amazing 5 days out on the Great Barrier Reef. We are going backwards to clear customs out of Australia bound for Papua New Guinea. I dropped the owner of the yacht off on the private postcard idyllic beach at the Lizard Island resort this morning by tender. Zipping across the various shades of blues and coral patches to the beach the private plane we have chartered for him flies in for a landing, every thing for the owner and guests are synchronized like a fine Swiss Watch. I mention to the owner "you know your in an amazing place when you step off your tender in to ankle deep sand with the sound of your private plane waiting on a run way only a 5 minute barefoot walk through a grove of palm trees". He smiles widely acknowledging a great trip so far. That genuinely sincere smile is one of the acknowledgements and rewards of the hard work that goes into it all.

During this GBR trip we where the first private yacht to be granted the use of a Minke Whale Permit. In order to do this we took on a live aboard guide, agreed to follow strict whale interaction protocol, and participate in the on going research data collection.

Dwarf Minke whales where first recognized as a distinct form of whale in the mid 1980's and there is still little known about them. They attracted attention in the northern Great Barrier Reef waters because they regularly approached close to boats and swimmers. While many countries have banned programs where visitors can swim with whales, a swim with whales industry has developed here in the northern GBR based on voluntary approaches of the Dwarf Minke Whales. To ensure the encounters have minimal impact on the whales, research is being focused on learning more about the whales interactions with swimmers. The goal of all the research is to manage the interaction between the dwarf Minke whale and humans so that it is ecologically sustainable.

To put it simply this swim with the whales program is all about the Dwarf Minke Whales interacting with humans on their terms, at their pace and at their choice. Quite opposite from other whale watching/swimming programs where you have several boats aggressively looking for whales speeding over to their location, hovering over them, ambushing them with a bunch of swimmers jumping in the water....

We arrive at Light House Bommie, a very large coral head located near Ribbon Reef #10. Its important to say as well by securing the permit and taking part in the research every spot we went to we had to our selves. This privacy in such an amazing place is hard to put into words- you really forget for while that their is a whole other world on the other side of the reef. This is a spot that the Minke come back to each year. As we arrive to the mooring, dead on the waypoint bullseye. it is magical, immediately several large Minke are surfacing around the boat. Their is no doubt that they are calling us out to play.

We start off by trailing a 30 meter polypropylene line that has about 7 bicycle inner tubes tied into it and equally spaced. Trailing behind the boat, the plastic line floats on the surface we don our wet suits, masks, snorkels and fins and then one by one gently enter the water and take up our position on the line. Within minutes we had company. The first Minke starts down the line coasting one meter from each persons face, making direct eye to eye contact. As you are looking ahead at one passing whale, another surprises you - a 20 footer, 3 ton whales coasts right under neath you, you do your best to keep your fins up so they do not graze him. You are speechless, in awe, stricken with admiration and the realization that you are having a completely natural encounter with several whales.

At first its a "wholly shit" reaction, a reaction of disbelief that something so big, from a world relatively unknown is coming so close to you. Then the emotions shift to a more powerful deeper experience... as you study them you see their grace, their curiosity, their complete trust in you, you feel a connection as you look eye to eye... The most powerful emotional experiences that I have ever had where the birth of my two children and the death of my father, this day is now in at number four.

When you are out at the Great Barrier you literally are "out there". Over a hundred miles from any real civilization. The trade winds blow a steady 20 25 knots from the South East. The seas outside the reef are running about two meters. You anchor or moor behind the reef for some resemblance of protection but that is diurnal at best. When high tide arrives the reef is awash and you are much more exposed. We had our share of dragging anchors and broken mooring lines, enough to make for very little sleep and 24 hour anchor watches.

PS - It's 0630 8 July. I am finishing this GBR journal anchored in Alotau Papua New Guinea. Arriving here after a 500 mile 10 knot beam reach across the Coral Sea. Its a little surreal as I sit outside typing on my Sony Vaio Laptop computer drinking nice bold coffee from my ceramic Starbucks Mug, listening to Jack Johnson's - "Thicker than Water" CD. I am surrounded by about 35 local handline fisherman in dug out log canoes, wild dogs going crazy barking to the left, three little barn swallow birds are sitting on the running back stay line chirping away, the odd rooster that's waking up late is carrying on, the lingering smell of cooking (and rubbish) fires all against the stunning back drop of the lush rain forest mountain peaks.

Click on the Great Barrier Reef Image to the left to see a slide show.

Triton Megayacht News - Greenland Aritcle

This link will take you to a nice article of our Greenland Cruise, written by Lisa Jouris and printed by the Trtion - August 2007 Edition.

http://www.the-triton.com/megayachtnews/index.php?news=1840

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Guest Post by Lisa Jouris

This past trip took me from the busy metropolis Auckland, New Zealand to the "road less traveled" into Far North Queensland (FNQ), Australia. It like felt an incredible release to get away from the city and to be immersed into pure natural splendor.


It seemed that no matter where we turned, beauty surrounded us. Our little private bungalow was off the beaten path in the rolling hills of Julatten. We were surrounded by wild birdlife that provided a non-stop concert throughout the day and into the night. Even our daily trips into the resort town of Port Douglas took us past endless rows of sugar cane that seemed to stretch for the sky.


The real discovery of this incredible region really began when we left the paved road behind and took the 80 km off-road journey through the World Heritage Rainforest of Cape Tribulation/Daintree via the Coast Road. We meandered along the rugged roads through intensely lush forests and rocky creek with the windows rolled down. Ah… fresh dewy earthy air.


After briefly visiting the quaint historical town of Cooktown (James Cook discovered it in 1770, while seeking as a safe Haven for his damaged HM Endeavour), we took the Mulligan Highway back to our destination. The 265 km road seems to stretch for miles through open grassy fields and high mountains. We stopped at the Annan Gorge to listen to the roar of the rushing water just at sunset. After the sun dropped, our ride home presented a new challenge for us city folk. Cattle roamed the vast open land freely and into the roads. It slowed our travels down a bit, but this was all part of the experience in the great Outback life of Australia.


Our trip to FNQ, Australia presented an opportunity to re-connect to Mother Nature and explore the great Australian Outback. It is a trip worth taking if you get out this way to the land “Down Under”.

Crossing the Tasman Sea

0700 04/04/ 08 Position 29 49S 162 25E

We are currently midway between New Zealand and Australia traversing the Tasman Sea.

This is my third time crossing this body of water in the past three to four months. We've sailed from Auckland to Sydney, Sydney to the Marlborough Sounds in South Island New Zealand and now from Auckland to Queensland.

This morning the sun is rising over the eastern horizon, bursting light over the mixed swells and storm tossed Tasman. The first light of the day is spotlighting three intense water spouts (mini water tornados) just off of our port beam. In the darkness before sunrise we navigated around this strong squall line by watching it on our radar monitor. Sailing just south of it to avoid the high wind, and now we can see three water spouts! Good call to divert a few miles!

It really is an amazing sight, I guess mother nature is ever changing the seascape and horizons for us and that is one of the strong allures this occupation has for me.
It's so close yet we are out of harms way. One of the water spouts is a fierce solid dark column, absolutely exploding the oceans surface as it moves across it. Another water spout extends down from the squall clouds to the sea. It has a wicked arc to it...its building power, defining its shape, size and direction...it is twisting, bending and curving like a cobra ready to strike its prey.
To the right of this spectacular nature show is a SOLID wall of rain, none of the mornings powerful first light can penetrate this. Those sun rays that are making it above the horizon paint a bold yellow, gold and red background, creating an erie background for all of the action on our immediate horizon.

This stretch of the Tasman Sea between Cape Reianga NZ and Queensland Australia skirt two prevailing weather systems. Their are highs and lows coming over Australia and tropical lows forming in the north and piping out of the New Caledonia area. This morning we are splitting - aka "threading the needle" between two very powerful systems. A strong high pressure system (rotates counter clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere) that originated in Tasmania and a Tropical Depression - Low pressure system (rotates clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere) that is moving very quickly out of Caledonia.

It's perfect sailing weather for us on this 1800 mile transit. We are scooting along at an easy 10 knots, rolling down 2 - 3 (6 to 10 feet) meter seas, broad reaching with the wind off of our port aft quarter.

To make the trip even more interesting and special, I am sailing with long time friend and mentor Murray Jacob. Murray is about as Australian as can be! He is chock full of knowledge and one of those few people I would trust my life with when in the s*#t on the high sea.

We are leaving Auckland "the City of Sails" just as signs of the Southern Hemisphere winter are revealing themselves. We have spent the last 5 to 6 months south of latitude 23 degrees south to avoid Cyclones. This is the same as the boats in the Northern hemisphere staying out of the Caribbean until November to avoid Hurricanes.

In this time we have hauled the 28 meter/90 ton yacht out of the water and completed an extensive refit. The goal of the refit is simple: to keep the 7 year old yacht in as close to "new" condition as possible and to ensure all systems are mechanically sound to insure our self sufficiency as we continue to circumnavigate the world.

Official Piracy Report Maps

Piracy is not just "Pirates of the Caribbean" Piracy is a real issue. One that requires planning and due diligence to avoid putting the guests, crew and vessel in harms way.

I feel the best strategy, the same as my storm strategy, that is avoidance! Go around it when ever possible! On top of that preparation, training and a solid security plan is essential.

PS I did not take the picture here. I hope and pray never to get this close to a real pirate.

To see the real picture of the actual attacks and attempted attacks as tracked and published by the International Maritime Bureau, check the links below.

The links are interactive you can zoom in and out and click on a specific attack to get the details.



2008 http://www.icc-ccs.org/extra/display.php?yr=2008

2007 http://www.icc-ccs.org/extra/display.php?yr=2007

2006 http://www.icc-ccs.org/extra/display.php?yr=2006

Somalia Piracy

This account is from a previous Captain of the Yacht that I now run. It tells the real story of what is going on in the Somalia region.

S/y Dolphin
Gulf of Aden, 22 April 2008
0030hrs (local time)
Latitude 12º 49´N
Longitude 047º 15´E

Report from “Pirate Alley” (Gulf of Aden).

Yesterday afternoon we received phone calls over the Satcom from relatives of some of the crew, living in Germany and Austria. They were concerned as to our well being since hearing on the local news of a reported “pirate attack” in the Gulf of Aden, the report said a commercial tuna fishing vessel was boarded and hijacked by a gang of pirates. This attack happened in close proximity to our location. The report was correct, but that attack was only one of FIVE during the last 24 hours.
Yes, pirates do still exist, unfortunately though they are not as charming and sympathetic as a certain Captain Jack Sparrow, the personification that most people associate with pirates nowadays. Piracy on the high seas, especially this part of the world is nothing new. Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union and their satellite communist regime in Somalia, in the 90’s, there has been a regular pattern of pirate attacks. I sailed through here, December 1998, as Captain on Geraldo Rivera’s sailing yacht “Voyager”. We were chased by pirates, the duration of a night, in the Strait of Sucatra. Only two weeks ago, April 4th, the French sailing yacht “Le Ponant” was attacked and hijacked in the same area as the tuna boat. Over 30 crew, mainly French and Ukrainian citizens were held hostage onboard, while the pirates took the vessel to a Somalian port. One week later the French government paid a ransom of $2.000.000, the vessel and its crew were released. Soon after four French assault helicopters, one warship and French Special Forces launched an attack, killing eight pirates, arresting the rest and recovering most of the ransom.
April 12th, before setting sail, on our return journey from the Maldives to the vessels home port Palma de Mallorca Spain, we contacted the IMB (International Maritime Bureau) Piracy Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They informed us that since the “Le Ponant” incident there had been no other attacks reported, as CMF (Combined Maritime Forces) had sent additional warships to patrol the area. The CMF consists of Spanish, Italian, American, British, German, French and Australian warships.
But that report was two weeks ago………
April 20th and all hell broke loose here.
It started 20.35hrs (local time) with a Mayday call on the VHF radio. “Faisal Mustafa” a small traditional wooden cargo ship, a common vessel in the Middle East known as a “dhow”, was en route from the Red Sea to India. As it turned out their position was only four nautical miles off our starboard side. We witnessed four small speedboats (dinghy type) quickly approach the ship. The last radio transmission, from the captain, was “Merciful God, can somebody help us, the pirates are boarding, merciful God, help us please!” There was a commotion of screaming and shouting in the background, then the radio went silent. We changed course immediately, contacted CMF and made radio contact with an American warship in the vicinity. They advised us to head south westerly at full speed, to get away from the pirates as soon as possible and in the general direction of a British warship “HMS Chatham”, 30 nautical miles from our position. They also launched a helicopter to meet us. The helicopter soon arrived and stayed over us until “HMS Chatham” had us plotted on their radar. Meanwhile the American warship was steaming towards the distressed vessel to help in some way. We still do not know the outcome of that situation.
Later the “HMS Chatham” Operations Officer advised us to continue towards our destination, Djibouti, on a westerly course leading us into an area patrolled by the German warship, frigate “Emden”. Sailing along through the night and 7 hours later we once again heard the heart wrenching “Mayday, mayday, pirate attack”. This time the call for help was from “Takayama”, a Japanese oil tanker en route from Japan to the Suez Canal. “Takayama” was under attack and only 25 nautical miles ahead of us, on our intended course.
From out of nowhere a small fast (appr. 30knots) fiberglass speedboat came alongside the tanker and opened fire with machineguns and RPG:s (Rocket propelled grenades). With the intention of stopping the tanker, they fired at the tankers rudder, she was badly hit along the whole portside, the lifeboat was shot to pieces, and the fuel tank was penetrated, causing heavy fuel oil to spill into the sea.
The captain of “Takayama” went full speed ahead and changed his course to North West, in the hope of reaching the German warship “Emden”, in the vicinity. “Emden” launched a helicopter which was on site within approximately 10 minutes and the pirates subsequently broke off their attack, we later found out that they returned to their “mothership”. By then “Takayamas´s” portside resembled Swiss cheese, with fuel pouring out of it. “Emden” finally reached the tanker and helped temporarily patch the leaking fuel tanks. She is now 30 nautical miles in front of us slowly limping towards the port of Aden, Yemen, for repairs, escorted by the German frigate.
During the attack, we were advised to change our course to a north westerly course so we could catch up with the tanker and safety of the German frigate.
At that point everyone thought it was over, there couldn´t possibly be more pirates out there. We were sadly mistaken as at 12.28hrs it was time again for “Mayday”, this time another small cargo ship, en route to Somaliland, was attacked and boarded close to the Somalian coast, 12nautical miles. As of yet we have no further information regarding that incident. It was time again, at 13.05 another Spanish commercial fishing vessel, approximately 100 nautical miles east of our position, was also attacked and boarded. They are now hijacked and the vessel is on its way to Somalia, with pirates in charge and the crew is held as hostages.
We are now slowly steaming westwards (8 knots) with our eyes glued to the radar, and constantly scanning the horizon with binoculars. All ships are on high alert and airing to the side of paranoia, changing course as soon as anything suspicious or unrecognized appears on the radar or horizon. Everyone is just listening to the radio dreading the next “Mayday”. Hopefully, Insh´Allah in this neck of the woods, it will not be us making that call………
Insh´Allah, God willing we will reach Djibouti, in one piece, within the next 36 hours, where we will bunker diesel, hopefully get fresh food and rest our minds of the mental stresses endured sailing through the Gulf of Aden.
Our only comfort at this point is seeing helicopters flying overhead, once in a while and the occasional warship. In fact we have a helicopter over us right now seemingly leading us in a westerly direction.
Whilst floating here feeling like sitting ducks, we could not help but wonder. “Is it not about time that the rest of the civilized world dealt with this Somalian issue?” “Is it not possible for either, if not all of these organizations UN, NATO, EU to develop a plan of action and resolve the instability of this poor country?” After all NATO intervened with Kosovo, Bosnia and Afghanistan.
If there is one place on earth that has been truly forgotten, it is Somalia, a country where the poor starving population has no human rights, no functioning infrastructure with no justice system, no police and where the law spells AK47, a weapon readily available and cheaper than a pair of tennis shoes. Where RPGs sell by the dozen, where very few journalists dare to go and foreign aid workers can not go for knowing they would most definitely be kidnapped on setting foot in Mogadishu. Where food aid shipments need naval escorts to guard their cargo being discharged and where fishermen become pirates at night. Something is definitely wrong when a blind eye has been turned and this has been accepted for decades. The only viable looking option is military intervention and I mean something more than the few thousand, poorly equipped, troops from the African Union (mainly Ugandan troops) stationed there right now. One would think it would be in the interest of the international community to see peace and stability here, since most of the Persian Gulf oil and commodities from the Far East must pass through the Gulf of Aden to reach their destinations in Europe and the east coast of North America. If this “piracy enterprise” continues as is it will definitely lead to many more deaths, hijackings, kidnappings, burning oil tankers and sunken ships. These pirates are desperate, they have nothing to loose and they are prepared to risk their lives for daily luxuries most of us take for granted. If they could have had peace, stability and prosperity sooner, they would most probably never have resorted to piracy on the high seas. With a form of central government in control the pirates could be stopped, even before they step into their boats.
So, politicians of the world, do something! Only you have the power to devise a plan and implement it. Only you can make it happen. The chaos in Somalia is so far gone and beyond control that there is no possibility that they themselves can bring anything about to resemble peace in the foreseeable future. Many Somalis, I am sure, would be forever grateful and thankful to the international community if we were to help their country become civilized and peaceful. Many mariners out there on the high seas would also be very grateful for any kind of normalcy. Instead of worrying our selves to death over pirates we could instead concentrate on the usual nautical factors like the weather and wind…

Whilst translating this report from Swedish (my native language), it was our turn to call “Mayday”. At 16.51hrs only 28 nautical miles off the Yemeni coast, Pos. 12º 22´N 045º 17´E, a crew member spotted two small speed boats, 4 nautical miles ahead and fast approaching from either side. We immediately sent out a “Mayday” and made a full speed U-turn. Our call was received by Spanish warship “Mendez Muñez”, approximately 15 nautical miles from our location and a U.S Marine Corps surveillance plane was in the vicinity. Within 9 minutes the plane flew over, circling us and the pursuing boats at very low altitude, the pursuers stopped and turned south. The closest they got to us was 0.8 nautical miles (1.5km), but even that is to close for comfort…..




Johan Lillkung
Captain S/y Dolphin
Satellite tel. +870-764061860
Email: captain@sydolphin.com


Dolphin is a 27 meter long, private sailing yacht, currently returning to Spain having spent the northern hemisphere winter cruising the Seychelles and the Maldives islands.

Dolphin crew:
Johan Lillkung, Sweden
Lionel Laboureur, France
Rene Paganetti, Germany
Sarah Fitsch, Austria
Julietta e Silva, Britain
Gordon Henderson, R.I U.S.A.

The Amazing 2008 Sydney Fireworks

The harbor and shores swelled with 1 million people. All eagerly awaiting the fireworks extravaganza. We had our position in the harbor, sighting straight down the line of 6 fireworks barges, the Opera House and Harbor Bridge and Downtown Sydney all in clear sight. The count down to 2008 begins....

All I can say is this experience should be added to your "things to do before I die list". Simply spectacular!



Check out the videos to the right...