A Lens on Nature: The Kimberley Small Ship Cruise

date_range
8 days from

£4705 GBP pp

* Current p/p indicative rate.

Overview
Highlights
Dates & Prices
Itinerary
Map
Ships

Highlights

  • Designed for the Lens - Enjoy an itinerary connecting you with the nature and landscape of the iconic Kimberley region.
  • Expertise - Travel alongside award-winning photographer and specialists throughout the expedition.
  • Like-Minded Community - Enjoy the camaraderie and shared passion for nature with our small group experience.
  • Step Up Your Skills - Learn photographic and travel content tips and skills that are yours for life.

Highlights

  • Designed for the Lens - Enjoy an itinerary connecting you with the nature and landscape of the iconic Kimberley region.
  • Expertise - Travel alongside award-winning photographer and specialists throughout the expedition.
  • Like-Minded Community - Enjoy the camaraderie and shared passion for nature with our small group experience.
  • Step Up Your Skills - Learn photographic and travel content tips and skills that are yours for life.
Capacity: 72
Feture image for A Lens on Nature: The Kimberley Small Ship Cruise

A Nature Photography Themed Expedition

Designed for photographers and visual storytellers, this 8-night Kimberley expedition, delivered in partnership with Australian Geographic, offers extended time in remote landscapes and rich wildlife habitats. Expert-led photography workshops are paired with explorations timed to the best available light conditions, whether at dawn or dusk. Together, they create opportunities to capture the region’s birdlife, wildlife and dramatic scenery at its most compelling.

  • Designed for the Lens - Enjoy an itinerary connecting you with the nature and landscape of the iconic Kimberley region.
  • Expertise - Travel alongside award-winning photographer and specialists throughout the expedition.
  • Like-Minded Community - Enjoy the camaraderie and shared passion for nature with our small group experience.
  • Step Up Your Skills - Learn photographic and travel content tips and skills that are yours for life.

Availability is always subject to confirmation. Please check with us before booking flights

30 July, 2027 to 06 August, 2027 on Coral Discoverer
Prices

Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.

Main Deck B Stateroom
£4705 GBP pp
Main Deck B Stateroom
Located close to the Dining Room, our six spacious Main Deck (Category B) staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature twin portholes for expansive ocean views, along with a desk, sofa, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.
Main Deck A Stateroom
£4955 GBP pp
Main Deck A Stateroom
Located close to the Dining Room, our six spacious Main Deck (Category A) staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature large, twin porthole windows for expansive ocean views, along with a desk, sofa, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.
Promenade A Stateroom
£5955 GBP pp
Promenade A Stateroom
Encircled by a full-ship promenade, our twenty spacious Promenade Deck (Category A) staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature picture windows for expansive ocean views, along with a sofa, desk, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.
Bridge Deck Balcony Stateroom
£7955 GBP pp
Bridge Deck Balcony Stateroom
Located on the exclusive Bridge Deck close to the Lounge and Bridge, our five spacious Bridge Deck Balcony staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature private balconies opening out from french windows providing comfortable indoor outdoor living, along with a sofa, desk, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.
27 August, 2027 to 03 September, 2027 on Coral Discoverer
Prices

Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.

Main Deck B Stateroom
£4705 GBP pp
Main Deck B Stateroom
Located close to the Dining Room, our six spacious Main Deck (Category B) staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature twin portholes for expansive ocean views, along with a desk, sofa, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.
Main Deck A Stateroom
£4955 GBP pp
Main Deck A Stateroom
Located close to the Dining Room, our six spacious Main Deck (Category A) staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature large, twin porthole windows for expansive ocean views, along with a desk, sofa, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.
Promenade A Stateroom
£5955 GBP pp
Promenade A Stateroom
Encircled by a full-ship promenade, our twenty spacious Promenade Deck (Category A) staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature picture windows for expansive ocean views, along with a sofa, desk, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.
Bridge Deck Balcony Stateroom
£7955 GBP pp
Bridge Deck Balcony Stateroom
Located on the exclusive Bridge Deck close to the Lounge and Bridge, our five spacious Bridge Deck Balcony staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature private balconies opening out from french windows providing comfortable indoor outdoor living, along with a sofa, desk, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.
show reverse itinerary
Pre-Cruise: Cable Beach Resort

Make your way to Cable Beach Resort ahead of a 3:00pm check-in. Once settled, join your fellow photographers, hosts and expedition team for an orientation session ahead of tomorrow's embarkation. Enjoy drinks and canapes with new friends as the sun sets over Cable Beach.

Day 1: Depart Broome

After a hearty buffet breakfast, meet your expert hosts for an intro preparation workshop to prepare you for your journey ahead. After a late checkout and lunch, depart for Broome port on a complimentary transfer.

Arrive at Broome's Deep Water Port for boarding at 4:00pm, with time to settle into your stateroom before our 5:00pm departure. Take the time to become acquainted with all the facilities onboard before meeting your fellow travellers, the Captain and crew for the Captain’s Welcome Drinks.

Day 2: Sunday Island | Iwany

Be welcomed to the region by expert guide Rosanna Angus and her team; and learn about the Jawi connection to land and sea through story, song, dance and traditions. Back on board, engage in today's workshop and briefing on how to identify local birdlife, and how to best capture the diverse range of species ahead of tomorrow's expedition.

Photography Highlights

Capture old pearling remains, layered sandstone cliffs, coastal birdlife and the striking contrast of turquoise waters, red rock and green mangroves.

Day 3: Lacepede Islands

Explore the remote Lacepede Islands, jointly cared for by Nyul Nyul, Nimanburr and Jabirr Jabirr/Ngumbarl Traditional Owners. Cruise by Xplorer and Zodiac through wildlife-rich lagoons, practicing your new found bird photography skills. Later today, our expert hosts will offer critique and troubleshooting from the comfort of the bridge deck lounge.

Photographer Highlights

Try and spot brown boobies and lesser frigatebirds within internationally significant breeding colonies, alongside green turtles in one of WA’s key nesting habitats.

Day 4: Adele Island

Visit remote Adele Island, a low-lying bird sanctuary shaped by vast tidal sandflats. Cruise by Zodiac and Xplorer to observe prolific seabird colonies, dolphins and, in season, humpback whales, with possible shore visits dependent on tides and conditions.

Today's workshops will focus on tips and techniques capturing marine species and guidance and tips as you begin to build out your portfolio.

Day 5: Montgomery Reef | Doubtful Bay

Explore either Montgomery Reef, where waterfalls cascade as the tide falls, or the mangrove-lined creeks of Doubtful Bay, rich in birdlife and marine species. Today's location will be decided by your knowledgeable expedition and bridge teams according to tides, weather and optimal photographic conditions.

On board today, workshops and skills sessions explore how to capture landscapes using light, composition and movement, in preparation for tomorrow's magnificent Talbot Bay.

Photography Highlights

Capture unscripted moments of turtles, reef sharks, manta rays, seabirds, snubfin dolphins, dugongs and humpback whales, with opportunities shaped around the best available wildlife and light conditions.

Day 6: Talbot Bay | Ganbadba & Lalang-garram Marine Park

Witness the immense tidal power of Horizontal Falls (Garaanngaddim), where rushing waters surge through narrow gorges. Cruise by Xplorer and Zodiac to the falls’ entrance and explore Cyclone Creek, learning how geology, tides and Unggudja stories shape this remarkable Kimberley landscape.

Here we put our new skills and learnings into practice, capturing dramatic landscapes, layered geology, wildlife, seabirds and marine life in one of the Kimberley’s most photogenic regions. Here, we have the benefit of exploring some of Australia’s most incredible and diverse landscapes during the best available light conditions, whether at dawn or dusk.

Photography Highlights

Today, we have opportunities to photograph crocodiles, fruit bats and diverse birdlife among mangrove habitats, alongside the striking folded and buckled rock formations of Cyclone Creek.

Day 7: Buccaneer Archipelago

Cruise among ancient islands first charted by Dampier, shaped over two billion years. With flexible routing, explore tidal passages, sculpted siltstone formations and wildlife-rich reefs, choosing excursions that best suit conditions, tides and guest abilities on the day.

As we near the end of our expedition, be guided by your expert hosts to select your standout shots for your portfolio, as well as workshops on how to take these images to the next level. We welcome you to present your winning captures to your fellow photographers ahead of the captain's farewell drinks.

Photography Highlights

Here we will keep an eye out for sea eagles, ospreys, brown boobies, turtles, dolphins, dugongs and seasonal humpback whales throughout the Buccaneer Archipelago.

Day 8: Broome

Arrive in Broome this morning at 8:00am. A post-cruise transfer to Broome CBD or Airport is included.

Please note:

Itineraries are subject to change. 

Pre-Cruise: Cable Beach Resort

Make your way to Cable Beach Resort ahead of a 3:00pm check-in. Once settled, join your fellow photographers, hosts and expedition team for an orientation session ahead of tomorrow's embarkation. Enjoy drinks and canapes with new friends as the sun sets over Cable Beach.

Day 1: Depart Broome

After a hearty buffet breakfast, meet your expert hosts for an intro preparation workshop to prepare you for your journey ahead. After a late checkout and lunch, depart for Broome port on a complimentary transfer.

Arrive at Broome's Deep Water Port for boarding at 4:00pm, with time to settle into your stateroom before our 5:00pm departure. Take the time to become acquainted with all the facilities onboard before meeting your fellow travellers, the Captain and crew for the Captain’s Welcome Drinks.

Day 2: Sunday Island | Iwany

Be welcomed to the region by expert guide Rosanna Angus and her team; and learn about the Jawi connection to land and sea through story, song, dance and traditions. Back on board, engage in today's workshop and briefing on how to identify local birdlife, and how to best capture the diverse range of species ahead of tomorrow's expedition.

Photography Highlights

Capture old pearling remains, layered sandstone cliffs, coastal birdlife and the striking contrast of turquoise waters, red rock and green mangroves.

Day 3: Lacepede Islands

Explore the remote Lacepede Islands, jointly cared for by Nyul Nyul, Nimanburr and Jabirr Jabirr/Ngumbarl Traditional Owners. Cruise by Xplorer and Zodiac through wildlife-rich lagoons, practicing your new found bird photography skills. Later today, our expert hosts will offer critique and troubleshooting from the comfort of the bridge deck lounge.

Photographer Highlights

Try and spot brown boobies and lesser frigatebirds within internationally significant breeding colonies, alongside green turtles in one of WA’s key nesting habitats.

Day 4: Adele Island

Visit remote Adele Island, a low-lying bird sanctuary shaped by vast tidal sandflats. Cruise by Zodiac and Xplorer to observe prolific seabird colonies, dolphins and, in season, humpback whales, with possible shore visits dependent on tides and conditions.

Today's workshops will focus on tips and techniques capturing marine species and guidance and tips as you begin to build out your portfolio.

Day 5: Montgomery Reef | Doubtful Bay

Explore either Montgomery Reef, where waterfalls cascade as the tide falls, or the mangrove-lined creeks of Doubtful Bay, rich in birdlife and marine species. Today's location will be decided by your knowledgeable expedition and bridge teams according to tides, weather and optimal photographic conditions.

On board today, workshops and skills sessions explore how to capture landscapes using light, composition and movement, in preparation for tomorrow's magnificent Talbot Bay.

Photography Highlights

Capture unscripted moments of turtles, reef sharks, manta rays, seabirds, snubfin dolphins, dugongs and humpback whales, with opportunities shaped around the best available wildlife and light conditions.

Day 6: Talbot Bay | Ganbadba & Lalang-garram Marine Park

Witness the immense tidal power of Horizontal Falls (Garaanngaddim), where rushing waters surge through narrow gorges. Cruise by Xplorer and Zodiac to the falls’ entrance and explore Cyclone Creek, learning how geology, tides and Unggudja stories shape this remarkable Kimberley landscape.

Here we put our new skills and learnings into practice, capturing dramatic landscapes, layered geology, wildlife, seabirds and marine life in one of the Kimberley’s most photogenic regions. Here, we have the benefit of exploring some of Australia’s most incredible and diverse landscapes during the best available light conditions, whether at dawn or dusk.

Photography Highlights

Today, we have opportunities to photograph crocodiles, fruit bats and diverse birdlife among mangrove habitats, alongside the striking folded and buckled rock formations of Cyclone Creek.

Day 7: Buccaneer Archipelago

Cruise among ancient islands first charted by Dampier, shaped over two billion years. With flexible routing, explore tidal passages, sculpted siltstone formations and wildlife-rich reefs, choosing excursions that best suit conditions, tides and guest abilities on the day.

As we near the end of our expedition, be guided by your expert hosts to select your standout shots for your portfolio, as well as workshops on how to take these images to the next level. We welcome you to present your winning captures to your fellow photographers ahead of the captain's farewell drinks.

Photography Highlights

Here we will keep an eye out for sea eagles, ospreys, brown boobies, turtles, dolphins, dugongs and seasonal humpback whales throughout the Buccaneer Archipelago.

Day 8: Broome

Arrive in Broome this morning at 8:00am. A post-cruise transfer to Broome CBD or Airport is included.

Please note:

Itineraries are subject to change. 

Itinerary also available in reverse
Coral Discoverer
Yacht-like Coral Discoverer set a new benchmark standard of sophistication in expedition cruising when she was constructed by us in 2005. Coral Discoverer sailed on pioneering expeditions through Pap…

Coral Discoverer

Length 63 metres
Launched/refurbished 2005/2018
Max capacity 72 Passengers

Yacht-like Coral Discoverer set a new benchmark standard of sophistication in expedition cruising when she was constructed by us in 2005. Coral Discoverer sailed on pioneering expeditions through Papua New Guinea, the islands of the South Pacific, Vanuatu, New Zealand, West Papua, and the Spice Islands. She led explorations into remote areas, focusing on destinations that were largely inaccessible to larger cruise ships.

Coral Discoverer is exceptionally nimble and maneuverable, with a shallow draught to get up close to destinations, ocean views from all public spaces, an expansive open-air sun deck, all outside-facing staterooms, and state-of-the-art tools for exploration including the Xplorer, zodiacs, a glass-bottom boat, and kayaks. A full refurbishment in 2018 saw the addition of private balconies, the much-loved Xplorer sundeck bar, and all new furnishings throughout the ship.

Comfortable, reliable, and intimately scaled, Coral Discoverer now conducts expeditions across Australia’s coast – Tasmania, Cape York and Arnhem Land and the Kimberley. Australian flagged and staffed by an Australian and New Zealand crew, your experience aboard Coral Discoverer will be memorable.

Onboard Accommodation

Onboard accommodation comprises 36 spacious modern staterooms. You can select from Bridge, Promenade or Main Deck staterooms offering a choice of twin through to junior king-size doubles. All staterooms have an ocean view, en-suite facilities, settee, large wardrobe, desk, luggage storage, individual air-conditioning control, and are serviced daily.

Onboard Facilities

What you would expect of a much larger cruise ship:

  • Large sundeck
  • Spa Pool
  • Guest computer
  • Comprehensive reference library
  • Phone and fax facilities
  • Lecture lounge with large plasma screen
  • Limited laundry facilities
  • Two fully stocked cocktail bars
  • Boutique and dive shop
  • Air-conditioned public areas

 Coral Discoverer is equipped with the latest technology active stabilizers and is fitted with state-of-the-art safety and navigational equipment and is the only Australian passenger ship registered with full SOLAS compliance allowing opportunities to explore a multitude of international voyages.

Dining

All meals during the cruise are included. Breakfast and lunch are served in the Dining Room located on the Main Deck and are buffet-style while dinner is table d’hote. Coffee and tea is available 24 hours. Standard hours are breakfast from 7:00-8:30am, lunch at 12:30pm and dinner at 7:30pm however meal times may vary according to the day's activities. Meal times will be advised in the onboard daily bulletins.

Excursion Boats And Zodiacs

The "Xplorer" is a specially designed aluminium excursion vessel used for the majority of our excursions. This vessel has high horsepower engines and will accommodate all passengers at one time. The "Xplorer" will be used for landings and for extensive exploration of rivers and tributaries. For your added convenience and comfort, the "Xplorer" is equipped with an awning and toilet.

We also carry two inflatable landing craft (Zodiacs). Designed for expedition work, these large and heavy-duty inflatables are extremely safe. Separate air compartments retain a large reserve of buoyancy even if the boats damaged. The flat bottom design permits these crafts to land directly onto the beaches. Expect nonetheless to wade through shallow water to reach the shore. See photo below (right)

Deck plans are for illustrative purposes only – The actual ship and cabin layout may differ.

Cabin layout for Coral Discoverer
Overview
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Itinerary
Map
Ship

8 days from £4705 GBP pp

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