G’Day Everyone!
This last weekend some friends and I took a day trip to the Mornington Peninsula. We started our morning at 5am in order to make the commute and be on time to board the boat for our dolphin and seal swim. We arrived to catch the sunrise over the ocean, put our wetsuits on, and hop on board as we headed out into the ocean.
Our first stop was at a location where a shelter had been built in the water for the seals. We put our snorkel gear on and jumped in the water! The seals would swim really close to you, and they were quite the show-offs. They would spin around and put on a little show while barking the whole time. The water was fairly shallow in the area so we had to be careful to keep our feet up, as rays would swim under you. It was a little scary at first. You would be focused on the seals and all of a sudden you look down and a huge ray is right underneath you.
After the seals, we boarded the boat and headed toward a little bay where we could snorkel and see cuttle fish and sea dragons. They both use camouflage really well. I was only able to spot one cuttle fish without the help of a guide.
We then boarded the boat and headed back to the dock. Over the course of the trip, we were supposed to be ready to dive in the water if any dolphins were spotted. Unfortunately, no dolphins were spotted in the area all morning, so we were unable to swim with the dolphins. It was still an amazing trip and the crew made it that much better.
After the dolphin and seal swim, we walked through the town of Sorrento to a beach spot called the “Back Beach”. This area had tons of rock pools and a couple short hiking trails that overlooked the beach. After wandering through the rock pools and trails for a bit, we went to a little café on the beach and had some lunch. The view from the deck was amazing.
We then went to our final destination for the day – Point Nepean National Park. Point Nepean was formerly an army base as well as a quarantine center. With about 30km of trails, Point Nepean spans toward the tip of the Mornington Peninsula. We took a tour bus out to the end of the peninsula and then hiked our way back. The hike was full of astonishing views, as well as remnants and tunnels from the army base. It was amazing and the weather was absolutely perfect!
Cheers!
Taryn Dance