Day 4, as advertised in our Western Xposure guide, was our
day to explore the wonders of Ningaloo Reef and its fantastic marine life in
Coral Bay. We could go snorkeling, cruise the reef on a glass bottom boat, take
a quad bike tour or even a flight over the reef. Somehow, Matt only ended up
with a fishing hook stuck in his arm. But more on that later.
A few girls opted for the Manta Ray tour where you have the
opportunity to Snorkel with giant Manta Rays, which they all raved about and
insisted was well worth the $200. We saw some video they took, and watching
those huge creatures doing backflips underwater was very impressive. However,
this day we decided we wanted to hang on to our cash. We had the chance to swim
with Manta Rays at night in Hawaii for FREE by sneaking through a hotel and
past their Manta-themed restaurant and jumping into the dark ocean with rays
swooping by us. But we digress, back to Coral Bay!
The girls who didn’t choose to swim with rays took the quad
bike tour which cost somewhere between $85-$100. And some poor soul had to
share a quad bike with “Just Look Into my Face” girl. (If you’re unsure of whom
we’re speaking about, read our “Day 2 – Kalbarri” Blog)
Lucky for us, our tour guide, Ben, was going fishing and
invited us to come along which turned out to be a whole day of fun and did we
mention FREE! Let us start by saying that neither of us are fishermen, nor
fisherpeople, for that matter. Despite this, Matt somehow managed to catch the
biggest Spanish Mackerel EVER! Basking in his own glory, Matt cast his very
next line, which flung right back around a vengeance and landed the hook
digging into his forearm. Barbs and all. Luckily our hero/tour guide Ben was
there to cut and pull it back out. Catching a big fish is an awesome feeling,
but nothing will humble you faster than hooking yourself in the arm with your
own fishing lure. That was the first real fish Matt has ever caught. It was
also the only fish any of us caught that day. He swears that bruise on his ego
hurt much more than the hook in his forearm.
Upon returning we were given a hero’s welcome for catching
the fish. Matt was showered with appreciation. He exclaimed, “Don’t worry
ladies”, as he stood atop a picnic table, “I shall provide for the tribe!” Just
then a ray of light beamed down upon him from the heavens above. I think he was
even holding the Ten Commandments, too. Okay, that’s not completely true, but
we did eat the fish for dinner. Everyone really enjoyed it, and we learned that
the cheek meat of the fish’s face is really tasty.
While not partaking in any of the awesome tours in Coral Bay
offering close encounters with sea giants or the chance to kick up some sand on
a quad bike, this became one of our most memorable days of the trip, and it
didn’t cost a dime. Just a hole in the arm…
