29 Aug 2024

Exploring the WWII History, Wildlife and Ancient Rock Art of Vansittart Bay

Greeted by a stunning sunset, our Zodiacs skipped over the azure waters as we made our way to Vansittart Bay. On shore we visited the site of a WWII Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3) wreck which crash landed onto the saltpan after running out of fuel during a mercy mission to evacuate four Dutch citizens from Java. Our guides shared the remarkable story of how all six men on board survived.

We crossed the salt pan, which gets flooded at high tide, as the tide retreated thousands of Elegant Fiddler Crabs emerged from their burrows to feed and perform courtship displays with their brightly-coloured claws. Not far from where the plane rests, which is in great condition considering its age, we admire a beautiful Boab Tree, Screwpine Pandanus, Paperbark Eucalypts and large scatterings of delicate wildflowers. Nearby at an old termite mound we find a stunning Kimberley Rock Dragon posing on top of the mound.

As we enjoyed lunch back on board Heritage Adventurer, she repositioned across the bay to Jar Island where we went ashore to admire at some more of the special rock art the Kimberley is known for. Named by Phillip Parker King after he found many earthenware jars on the island once used for storing Sea Cucumbers. This the Kimberley’s incredible rock art galleries share Gwion Gwion art, but a much older style than we have seen previously including a more detailed intricate style called tassel figures. The beach has a lovely, curved bay with lots of interesting shells and corals and we enjoy stretching our legs and admiring all the treasures before resuming our adventures aboard our trusty expedition ship.

Images © Stephen Bradley Photography, Heritage Expeditions