Eco tour helps save shipwrecked boater at Big Island

"You just never know what you're going to see when you go to the Five Islands," says marine scientist Nathalie Simmonds, founder of Abyss Projects' ocean eco tours.

She's quite right. On last Saturday's ocean adventure, not only did nature put on an extraordinary display, there was human drama too.

"We went out on a 3pm eco tour, which was completely sold out," Nat said. "We had participants from four years of age, and I think we even had an 80-year-old on board, and I also had two monks from Nan Tien join, which was a first.

"The energy was positive and happy, and we were so excited to hit the water."

The 90-minute tours depart from Port Kembla Outer Harbour Boat Ramp, near the historic World War II-era Breakwater Battery Building. Usually, the humpback action lies around the Five Islands Nature Reserve but this tour was different.

"But before we had even left Port Kembla Harbour, there was a mother and calf inside the outer harbour, inside the breakwall. So that in itself was absolutely remarkable and awe-inspiring."

The trip continued with treats for birdwatchers: sooty oystercatchers, kelp gulls and albatrosses overhead. "Then the whales just showed up in glorious numbers. Remarkably, three individual pods all were mothers, calves and male escorts – which for early August is absolutely exceptional."

Seeing humpbacks travelling both north and south was unusual, Nat said.

"Historically in the Illawarra, there was a northern migration and a southern migration with a clear gap in late July/August between the two runs. This year, there is a clear overlap, with no true gap between.

"With numbers recovering, the migration season is looking to be longer, with whales on the Illawarra coastline for longer in the year and naturally in greater numbers."

Seals here to stay

The eco tour sailed around the islets of Bass, historically known as Pig Island, and Martin, home to Australian fur seals.

"We remarkably again, for only the second year, recorded baby seals on both Martin and Big Island," Nat said.

"Historically, it was a breeding colony of bachelors who weren't ready to compete down in Narooma, and so they would come and go. And then last year, we realised that it was now a permanent colony, but also that it had become a breeding colony."

As the tour rounded Big Island, however, all eyes turned to a boating drama.

"We came across a man fishing quite close to Big Island, just in front of the permanent pelican roost that is famously on top of Big Island. He was starting to drift, and the captain and I kept a close eye on him because it's quite rough waters on that side of the island."

Suddenly, amid loud and windy conditions, with waves crashing onto rocks, the man lost control of his boat.

"He abandoned ship and swam to Big Island, which is prohibited, as a nature reserve, for people to board on. However, he was in marine distress," Nat said.

"From that point, he was really at the mercy of the sea, and the waves were beating his boat against the intertidal rocky platform at Big Island – to the point where we all watched as his boat sank."

Nat's captain radioed out an emergency distress call while she called Marine Command at Port Kembla on her mobile phone.

"We watched as all of his belongings started to drift, and there was nothing we could do, because we couldn't get any closer and my responsibility is to the people that I have on board with us.

"I was able to let the man know that help was on its way, and we weren't going to leave him.

"The sun was going down. It was a magnificent painted sky of a sunset all around us, and then the whales started to jump again, as this poor man watched his beloved vessel sink.

"We were really happy with the response time. Marine Rescue got there, thanked us profusely for coming to the man's aid – and of course, we would never leave someone stranded alone on an island.

"As we pulled away, he and I both gave each other the love heart sign to say thank you, and just to share that traumatic bond, that we acknowledged what he was going through, and we were so sincerely sorry to see it happen."

Marine Rescue volunteers took the fisherman safely back to shore, but for the eco tourists, nature had one last surprise.

"We were greeted by another mother and calf, directly in front of Marine Command at Port Kembla, which is right between Big Island and Rocky Island, very close to shore in front of MM Beach," Nat said. "We watched a 20-minute display of just continuous breaches and tail slapping.

"One of the monks said to me, it was as if the whale was saying goodbye to us as it continued to tail slap as we drove away back towards the outer harbour boat ramp. It was just the eco tour that just kept on giving."

There's more action ahead: Abyss Projects will run its UNESCO-endorsed ecotours on weekends in August, September and October. Book via Eventbrite.

Busy with winter rescues

The August 8 accident came as Marine Rescue NSW – a not‑for‑profit organisation – announced its second busiest July on record, with volunteers responding to 253 search and rescue missions across the state.

In the Illawarra in July, volunteers undertook 22 search and rescue missions, including 12 emergency responses.

Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Todd Andrews encouraged all boaters to use the organisation's free Log On service before heading out.

"Whether you use the free Marine Rescue NSW app or Log On via VHF Channel 16, you'll be providing our radio operators with your trip details. If you don't return as planned, we know where to start looking, which can save valuable time in an emergency."