Darwin Harbour Cruises, History, Sunsets, Turtles, Tiwi ..…. Award winning Darwin Sunset cruises, Bombing of Darwin cruises and Eco Cruises
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For those with the spirit of adventure - immerse yourself into the topend marine and coastal habitat and allow Sea Darwin to take you on an adventure. Whether your preference is for a short blast on Darwin Harbour, or an odyssey of a life time to see nesting turtles at sunset on Bare Sand Island, or maybe just a party on the sandbar, Sea Darwin has an experience for you.
19/06/2024
**🐢Destination Ngulbitjik (Bare Sand Island)🐢**
Home of extraordinary sunsets, a mountain of sand, fascinating WWII history, flocks of birds, the odd crocodile, and a significant population of nesting Flatback turtles.
Ngulbitjik is Kenbi country - it’s a place where time is counted in moon cycles. With gratitude to the Kenbi Traditional Owners, you can put this isle of intrigue on your bucket list.
Our Turtle Tracks tour is now in full swing, taking cues from the Turtles and operating around the moon cycle. 🌙 🐢
14/06/2024
Only 2 weeks to go before our special Territory Day fireworks display cruise. Great news to learn that the venue will remain at Mindil Beach this year. Avoid the crowds and join us on 1st July from Stokes Hill wharf for the display viewed from the water.
12/06/2024
Later this year in mid-July, the skies around Darwin will reverberate with the sound of many powerful jet engines during Exercise Pitch Black. Back in 1942 on 19th February (and many occasions after that), there were a great deal more aircraft over Darwin and they didn’t sound anything like these jets. On our World War II tours, it’s a humbling honour to be able to show our guests some of the sights through our storyteller’s eyes, and help people understand just what those men and women went through all that time ago.
08/06/2024
Are you excited for the 4WD Camping Expo in just 2 weeks? Why not extend your adventure with a fast boat tour on Darwin Harbour? Unwind after the expo by exploring our back yard and capturing unforgettable moments. Let us help you make it a trip to remember.
07/06/2024
With just a week to go before Darwin’s Triple Crown V8 spectacular, we can almost feel the excitement in the air. Whether you are a Holden / Chev Camaro fan or favour the Ford Mustang - you’ll still enjoy the wind in your hair and a plate of fresh local wild-caught Barramundi at sunset with us.
05/06/2024
It’s such a humbling experience being so close to animals acting naturally and going about their business! On a recent Turtle Tracks tour our guests were witness to no less that 6 Flatback Turtles come ashore to begin the next generation. We are so privileged and grateful to be able to visit this special place, Bare Sand Island / Ngulbitjik.
02/06/2024
We were thrilled to receive this review of our new Discover Darwin Harbour cruise, and we couldn’t agree more!
28/05/2024
Ocean film festival comes to Darwin soon – enjoy the ocean by day and night – Expand your experience to the Darwin harbour for an evening meal or be absorbed on one of our incredible WWII tours by land and sea. Go one further and get up close and personal with nesting turtles.........
26/05/2024
We are loving the cool dry season weather – nowhere more so than while enjoying a Top End sunset on the water with a delicious plate of local wild-caught Barramundi and fresh chips.
24/05/2024
If you are coming to Darwin for the Triple Crown V8 supercars – you’ll enjoy fast boats too – Enjoy the cool evening air on a sunset cruise with 4 x 300HP engines, Darwin’s award-winning Fish and Chips and a complimentary beverage.
23/05/2024
Great acknowledgement and comments Paul Kirby: Member for Port Darwin. It really is an important day that can create wonderful awareness of these very special creature’s. They give us and our customers an experience that inspires us emotionally and environmentally in so many ways.
22/05/2024
As we celebrate World Turtle Day today, we take a moment to reflect on the dedication and effort made by organisations like Austurtle https://www.austurtle.org/
Did you know that ALL species of sea turtle in Australian waters are considered endangered or vulnerable to extinction? Selfless individuals behind not-for-profit conservation bodies like Austurtle can and do make a huge difference. On this particular day, maybe consider taking membership for a relatively small fee, or volunteer some time to help with their valuable work?
22/05/2024
What an amazing moment from our recent Discover Darwin Harbour cruise - a dolphin leaping out of the water not once, not twice but THREE times. There’s nothing quite like experiencing the thrill of nature up close.
Watch the video and feel the excitement!
20/05/2024
Turtle-y surprising! 🐢 An endangered Olive Ridley Turtle has been discovered nesting on the east coast of Queensland.
Why is this surprising? Although Olive Ridley Turtles can be found foraging in eastern Australia, their previously known nest sites in Australia are all west of Cape York, along coastlines in the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arnhem Land.
This nesting turtle may have travelled as much as 2000 km – about the distance from Adelaide to Brisbane – from the Solomon Islands.
Well done to the volunteers who put their training to good use by recognising this turtle sighting was unique and reported the sighting to species experts. Continued monitoring will be important to determine if this was an isolated event or perhaps a sign that the breeding range of the species may be expanding.
View this spectacular event off shore in the safety of our vessels. With a licenced bar on board you won't find a better seat to enjoy the Territory Day fireworks on 1st July.
Did you know that four of the seven species of marine turtles regularly nest in the Northern Territory? These are the green turtles (¬Chelonia mydas), hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), olive-ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), and flatback turtles (Natator depressus). The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) has also been recorded nesting in the Northern Territory, but sightings are rare.
At Bare Sand Island (Ngulbitjik), both flatback and olive-ridley turtles come ashore to nest, with the majority of nests belonging to the flatbacks. Flatbacks are a unique species of marine turtle only found in the tropical waters of Australia and New Guinea. Nesting, however, is restricted to Australian beaches only. Their conservation status is ‘Vulnerable’ under Commonwealth legislation (EPBC Act 1999), but they are listed as ‘Data Deficient‘ in the Northern Territory and internationally.
Marine turtles occupy a range of ecosystems, from nesting grounds on land to developmental and foraging habitats in both coastal and oceanic water. Most species of turtles follow the same oceanic-coastal developmental pattern. Early development occurs in deep offshore waters until reaching a certain size range, usually around 35–40 cm. Later development then occurs in shallow coastal waters. Unlike other marine turtle species, flatback turtles have a completely coastal developmental pattern with no oceanic phase.
Reaching maturity at around 15-20 years, flatbacks return to their birthplace to nest every 2 to 4 years. During a nesting season, they lay 2-3 clutches of 50-70 eggs each. While they can nest year-round in the Northern Territory, peak nesting occurs during the dry season (May-September).
Join us in celebrating and protecting these incredible and unique marine turtles. Plan your visit to witness the awe-inspiring nesting process and help support their conservation.
15/05/2024
Following our most enjoyable excursion to Ngulbitjik (Bare Sand Island) to clean up marine debris. Did you know that plastic and other debris harms sea turtles? This is one of the steps we can take to help - our tally this year was a total of 18kgs of marine debris, including 48 plastic water bottles, 5 thongs, 2 fishing lures, 33 metal items (mostly drink cans) and the usual range of other aged and sun bleached offenders. Thanks to all that came along and assisted. Full results are available on the database through Tangaroa Blue.
One of these photos isn't a beautiful one for a change, but it does tell a story - the float and attached length of rope was found directly on top of a recently laid turtle nest. It's removal may well have made a significant difference to little emerging hatchlings like this one in a few weeks' time. Thank you for helping us make a difference.
11/05/2024
Wishing all of our friends, followers and guests who are Mums or Mums-to-be, a very happy Mother's Day. This beautiful Mum-in-waiting Flatback Turtle came ashore on Friday night to start the next generation of little turtles. Important research forms a large part of what we do and Natalie Robson is seen here collecting valuable data for the project. The feeling of being in the presence of a totally wild creature going about their business is very hard to describe.
09/05/2024
Mother's Day is just around the corner this Sunday - why not spoil that special Mum in your life with a Sunset Fish and Chips Cruise with us?
08/05/2024
The time has finally come! Our first tour is full (sorry if we couldn't fit you in) but there are a few spaces in the next few tours - come and join us..... https://seadarwin.com/darwin-tours/turtle-tracks/
01/05/2024
We're only a small team but we are tight - Kerry and Lynda pictured here are two of the friendly faces and / or voices you may interact with when you venture out onto Darwin Harbour with us. Hop on board and meet them for real.
28/04/2024
Next weekend we will return to Njulbitjlk (Bare Sand Island) for our annual clean up efforts. We'd like to keep this area as pristine as when Turtles first started coming ashore to lay their eggs, so they keep coming for ever...... Watch this space to see what we find on Saturday
21/04/2024
Some days are gold, some days are diamonds..... team training day
21/04/2024
Not long to go now and our special Turtle Tracks tours re-commence. Encouraging signs from Bare Sand Island on a recent crew training exercise indicate plenty of active turtles - we can't wait!
17/04/2024
Afternoons on Darwin harbour - Feel the thrill of the wind in your hair as you skim across the smooth waters and soak in Darwin's views. Our brand new one hour Discover Darwin Harbour outing is perfect for a quick getaway or a spontaneous adventure!
13/04/2024
It's time to Discover Darwin Harbour!
New for 2024, our 1 hour afternoon cruise at 1.30 pm is a showcase of Darwin Harbour at its finest.
Guided by the rhythm of the tides, the cruise promises to reveal the very essence of Darwin's soul. From intriguing historical insights to glimpses of unique habitats, we're determined to take you on an exploration of the finest spots our seascape has to offer. Picture yourself checking on a crocodile trap or stepping onto the sandbar - these are just a taste of what we have in store.
Discover Darwin Harbour commences 16 April 2024 and operates 6 days a week.
10/04/2024
The sou-easterly is gathering strength, the dragonflies are busy and that can only mean one thing - Fish and Chips season is here! Come and enjoy the beautiful dry season sunset and a delicious meal of fresh wild-caught NT Barramundi!
07/04/2024
Exciting News from Sea Darwin-Sea Tiwi!
Just like her sister vessel MV Flatback, our MV Olive Ridley is now undergoing a thorough refurbishment akin to a birthday bash - Olive Ridley is gearing up to be as good as new again!
Stay tuned for updates as we unveil the refreshed MV Olive Ridley. Adventure awaits!
03/04/2024
Check out the MV Olive Ridley, standing still and focused, just like she does on a Sandbar Charter! 🛥️ Your vessel/s, the Captain, and the Crew, patiently standby while you soak up the tranquility and adventure of the sandbar.
🏝️ If you fancy such a one-of-a-kind experience for your family, friends or visiting group this dry season - a visit to the sandbar awaits! Ask us how!
01/04/2024
Interested in volunteering for Austurtle this dry season? Njulbitjik (Bare Sand Island) camp applications are now open. 🐢 🐢 🐢
The 2024 reasearch season is open for volunteer registration! Head to our website http://www.austurtle.org
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Videos
What an amazing moment from our recent Discover Darwin Harbour cruise - a dolphin leaping out of the water not once, not twice but THREE times. There’s nothing quite like experiencing the thrill of nature up close.
Watch the video and feel the excitement!
#Darwinharbour #dolphinmagic #Naturelovers#Boatcruise#wildlifewonder
The Bare Sand Island cleanup is complete for another year thanks to a dedicated cohort of guests and crew. Such a beautiful spot -and in case anyone is wondering why we call our specialised tour “Turtle Tracks” maybe these pics will help…..
April’s just around the corner and we can’t wait for our dry season Fish'n Chip cruises, especially those with a unique Darwin twist - we hit the sandbar when the tide is just right!
Imagine this: a fast boat, fresh wild-caught Fish’n chips, sandbar vibes and a stunning sunset ride back to Dock!
#SeaDarwin #FishnChipCruise #DarwinHarbour #TidePerfection #sunsetcruise #SandbarVibes
Take us back for a Sunday Smile!
🌊🐢 What a magical memory from a partnership project we shared in 2022 with AusTurtle Inc and Banubanu Beach Retreat. Witnessing an army (aka clutch) of Olive Ridleys making their dash to the sea on Bremmer Island was simply joyful . 🐢🌊
#OliveRidley #Conservation #SeaDarwin #SeaTiwi #Austurtle #Memories #NatureAtItsFinest #EcoTourism
We've officially put in the order for some spectacular colours in the sky over Darwin Harbour this year.
Come sunset chasing with us! 🌅✨
2023, the year Sea Darwin became Sea Darwin Sea Tiwi. 2024 the year that we continue to share our Darwin Harbour experiences capturing the natural beauty and WWII historic events with 1000s of travellers across the planet. We hope 2024 brings you all very special memories and unforgettable experiences.
Every now and then December dishes us up a real sunset cruise treat. A vibrant horizon, the rhythmic pitter patter of rain, and a pod of Darwin Harbour dolphins. How lucky are we!
Vroom Vroom Vroom - New for 2024! Sea Darwin – Sea Tiwi is thrilled to introduce hire cars to the Darwin market in the new year. Expanding on our parent company, Tiwi Enterprises’ car hire business, we will have two brand new, sleek, and spacious Toyota Hilux dual cabs available to elevate your travel experience to a whole new level. Great rates available!
As the 2023 season draws to a close, we need to put it out there that we’re so grateful for our incredible Sea Darwin crew, who have made every orange bellied moment unforgettable. 🙌✨ #DreamTeam #2023
Sunset Cruising Darwin Harbour
Yes - we are still operating! Sunset Fish'n Chips with 360 degree views on Wednesdays and Saturdays all through the lush season - come and feel alive with the edginess of Darwin Harbour's tropical light and cloud formations.
Sound on! With the changing of the season we are doing different - our sunset cruising often takes us up the back of the harbour, up close and personal with nature. Sometimes it's serene, sometimes it's squawky! Sunset Fish’n Chips will continue to operate right through the tropical light season on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 🌅🦜 #NatureAdventures #SunsetMagic #DoDifferent #TropicalLight
Ahoy there! We have some news. Today Sea Darwin becomes bigger and bolder. After 15 years as a family based business, it’s time to throw the lines and let the engines roar. We are so proud to have created an organically successful, sustainable eco-tourism business that’s primed to journey way beyond Darwin Harbour. We are so excited for what the future holds. Go Sea Darwin, Sea Tiwi - we’ll have your back. Thank you and all the very best to Sea Darwin’s new owners - Tiwi Enterprises. Jim, Heather, Sam, Georgia and Tex.
When your winter consists of 32 degree days, G & T’s on a sandbar and a sunset cruise with a difference - Top End NT where summer never ends.
A taste of drone magic for the weekend.
Magical moments captured by 🐢 Turtle Guide Emma from one of last weeks tours. 🐢 🐢
On our way to pick up Fish n Chips like … 🚤 💨
QUIZ TIME! How many busy Flatback Sea Turtles made these tracks on Bare Sand Island? 1 very very busy Flatback, 2 very busy Flatbacks, OR 3 busy Flatbacks? Comment below!
Rays, sharks and turtles. This week we were treated to a pretty special World Ocean Day in a pretty special part of the world.
For those with the spirit of adventure - immerse yourself into the topend marine and coastal habitat and allow Sea Darwin to take you on an adventure. Whether your preference is for a short blast on Darwin Harbour, or an odyssey of a life time to see nesting turtles at sunset on Bare Sand Island, or maybe just a party on the sandbar, Sea Darwin has an experience for you.
About us? This trip advisor review from Brian Byrne after his sunset cruise in June 2018 will tell our story!
“What’s the horsepower?” I ask Georgia Smith as her brother throttles back following a series of maritime ‘doughnuts’ in the end of evening dark off Stokes Hill Wharf, and settles the boat for its more leisurely finish towards tying up after a night out on Darwin Harbour.
"Triple 300," she answers, meaning three 300hp engines. It doesn't surprise me. The MV Flatback cruiser had shown a very surprising turn of speed several times over the evening as Georgia and her two brothers — “you got the family crew tonight” — had taken us and the rest of the group on the Sea Darwin ‘Fish and Chips Sunset Cruise’ around the harbour area. The engines had been pushed to full song between points of interest, which certainly upped the experience compared to similar trips we've had elsewhere.
Sea Darwin was established by Georgia’s parents, marine scientist Jim Smith and Heather King, after they and their three children had spent a year transiting the West Pacific ocean in a 40-footer. The family are originally from Tasmania, and given that its capital Hobart is acknowledged as the sailing capital of the continent, it’s not surprising that the young people are so obviously at home with the boat, one of three operated by Sea Darwin. And since it is the family firm, so comfortable in letting it rip.
But the power parts are only the in-betweens. Links between the highlights as the cruise goes from bright through sunset to dark. That’s a pretty quick process in the Tropics, without the slow passage through twilight we’re used to in Ireland.
The cruise begins with a complimentary beer or fizzy stuff if that's your preference. An effective ‘get you in the mood’ ploy. After introductions, Georgia then brings us along by the Australian Navy headquarters for the patrol boats which police the Timor Sea, mostly for illegal fishing, but also monitoring for any would-be illegal immigrants.
The pointing out of expensive housing on the passing coastline is thankfully brief, then it's time to pull ashore to pick up the evening meal courtesy of local fish restaurant Rachael's Seafood Shack, with an apparently very good reputation. Numbers had been phoned ahead, the individually packed meals come in insulated bags, quickly distributed as one of the brothers takes the helm and points us seawards again.
There's a short explanation from Georgia, reflecting the importance the family put in sustainable tourism — every year Sea Darwin leads a group of 30-plus people to nearby Bare Sand Island to clear it of accumulated marine debris. “The fish is threadneedle salmon, caught as a byproduct of fishing for baramundi. But our supplier goes to the Fisherman’s Wharf every morning specifically to buy it, making sure it doesn't go to waste. The potatoes for the chips come from our original home, Tasmania, and the containers are made from a sugar cane pulp, renewable and completely biodegradable.”
As we eat fish and chips in the nicest way, with fingers at sea, our next destination is a lucky one, only available to the cruise two or three times a month — sunset on a sandbar. At certain low tides the harbour sand forms a couple of low ‘islands’, and this is one of the nights that the Flatback's crew can beach the boat and let us all off, on bare feet, to watch the sun slip swiftly through the horizon to another side of the world. It might well be the most romantic sunset I’ve ever seen, sea lapping around a sandbar only centimetres higher than the water level as the colours of sky and sea shape-shift quickly from rich oranges to deepening indigos.
Back in the boat, there's an opportunity for another rare diversion. Further out in the bay is a submarine recharging its batteries. It's almost dark when we get to it, so it's not clear if it is a Navy vessel, or someone's private plaything. But it is certainly noisy with its generators going full blast to top up the current. We circle it, watching the silhouette of the sailor on watch duty on the foredeck watching us.
The cruise continues from there back in towards its Stokes Hill Wharf base, with various commentaries from the three young crew on aspects of the city skyline, visible from different angles as they gun the 900 horsepower to provide various perspectives.
It doesn’t sound like a restful couple of hours. But it actually is. There's something about the enthusiasm of Georgia and her brothers not just for their business, but for life itself, which paradoxically slows one down. And of their clear concern for the environment of the Top End, the colloquial nickname for the upper Northern Territory, which is reassuring.
Many of us on the trip that night are of an older generation. Which is the nature of the tourist business during Darwin’s dry season. But there's a magic in the night which somehow makes us all feel a tad, or more, younger again. Reminding us that youth is not just for the young … and that it is wonderfully infectious.
