Crocodiles and caviar: A 10-night voyage aboard the most lavish cruise ship to explore the majestic Kimberley region.

I’m convinced my travel companions have completely lost their grip on reality.

They’re insisting that a giant saltwater crocodile is lounging just meters away from our Zodiac boat along the riverbank. Yet, all I can see is nothing but mud.

Even when they point it out directly, I still can’t spot it.

Until suddenly, I do.

It's the eye that gives it away. A piercing yellow gaze, fixed on us.

Once I lock eyes with it, everything falls into place. The sharp spines along its back, hidden beneath a layer of mud, making it nearly invisible. Its tail, partially submerged in the river. The massive jaws, frozen in what seems like a grin — or is it a sinister smirk?

I’ve been reassured that we’re perfectly safe in our Zodiac boat. Still, a chill runs down my spine. This crocodile, like all others in the remote Kimberley region of Australia we’re exploring, is terrifying in its sheer size. Its menacing presence feels like it wants to devour me. I’m convinced of it.

I remember how one of our expedition guides described the massive creatures before we set sail from our opulent expedition ship, Seabourn Pursuit, to search for them.

The 'ultimate... killing... machine.'

He delivered it exactly like that. Three words, spaced as if they were distinct sentences, for dramatic effect.

This came after he casually mentioned that crocodiles don’t leave a trail of bubbles as they approach underwater, nor do they create a wake on the surface. One second, they’re invisible. The next, you’re gone.

His recommendation: Keep your hands and arms inside the boat at all times.

After coming face-to-face with one of them up close, I won’t need any further reminders.

It’s just one of many lessons I learn as I journey along the Kimberley coast aboard Seabourn Pursuit — the newest, largest, and most luxurious expedition cruise ship to explore this remarkable region. Launched in August, this 264-passenger vessel is a floating classroom, offering insights into the wildlife, landscape, and rich history of this rugged territory.

A rare expedition

Our search for saltwater crocodiles, scientifically known as Crocodylus porosus, takes us deep into the Kimberley’s Porosus Creek — a place whose name is no accident. This mangrove-lined tributary of the Hunter River is teeming with them.

Like the entire Kimberley region, it’s a primeval world. Along with the enormous crocodiles (some reaching over 20 feet), the riverbanks are crowded with pincered crabs and odd-looking mudskippers — amphibious fish that seem to hop in all directions. The mangrove roots create dense barriers, while towering ochre cliffs loom in the distance.

It’s the kind of scene where you half-expect dinosaurs to burst into the frame at any moment.

Maybe they will. Based on my experiences during this 10-night journey along the Kimberley coast, anything seems possible.

The Kimberley remains largely uncharted in parts, a remote and difficult-to-reach region of the world, yet it boasts natural wonders like the ‘horizontal waterfalls’ and an enormous reef that appears to rise magically from the ocean.

It’s also a place that has recently surged to the top of international travel hot lists.

Until recently, despite its irresistible charm, the Kimberley was a destination you could only reach aboard a small expedition ship operated by one of a few Australian cruise lines. True North and Coral Expeditions, which primarily catered to adventurous Aussies and were largely unknown internationally, were the main players in this remote region.

However, a wave of globally recognized cruise brands offering expedition cruises — ships specifically built for off-the-beaten-path adventures — have begun adding the Kimberley to their itineraries, putting the region firmly on the world tourism map. Luxury cruise line Seabourn, operating Seabourn Pursuit, launched its Kimberley voyages this summer, along with Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours. Upscale brand Ponant also brought a new ship to the Kimberley this season.

Two other international names, Silversea Cruises and Lindblad Expeditions, have been operating in the Kimberley for a little longer, though they remain relatively new to the area. Lindblad, for example, resumed its Kimberley expeditions in 2023 after an eight-year break.

Among them all, Seabourn is attracting the most attention lately, undoubtedly due to the impressive size and luxury of Seabourn Pursuit. It offers the most luxurious way to explore the Kimberley, hands down.

Seabourn is now offering journeys to the Kimberley that involve Indigenous Australian communities with deep connections to the land — a first for the region.

In essence, Seabourn Pursuit is leading the way in ushering in a new chapter of tourism in the Kimberley.

The journey east

To explore the Kimberley, whether aboard a luxury expedition ship or more basic means, is like stepping back in time. It’s a departure from modern life into a prehistoric, 'Flintstones'-esque landscape.

Our voyage aboard Seabourn Pursuit along the Kimberley coast starts in Broome, the region’s only significant settlement — and the last place where we’ll encounter anything beyond the untamed wilderness the Australians call the 'bush.'

At the western edge of the Kimberley lies the small town of 15,000 people, serving as a gateway of sorts to the region, thanks to its modest airport. However, it’s not the typical tourist destination you might expect. Its 'downtown' is merely a couple of streets lined with eateries, bars, and shops. There are only a few hotels here, where travelers can rest before embarking on their adventures.

During our trip, many passengers follow this exact plan. Others opt to stay a few extra nights for a flightseeing tour over the striking sandstone domes of the nearby Bungle Bungle Range or take a sunset camel ride along the pristine white sands of Broome's Cable Beach.

This is just the first glimpse of the awe-inspiring Kimberley landscape, which we will be exploring over the next 10 days.

The Kimberley is vast — its inland regions alone are about three times the size of England. But despite its enormous size, it remains sparsely populated, with roughly 40,000 people. Touring this remote area is not easy, as much of its coastal wilderness can only be accessed by boat or floatplane. This is one reason why expedition cruising has become such a popular way to explore the region.

We board Seabourn Pursuit from a solitary jetty a few miles outside Broome's town center, and soon we are heading deep into the heart of the Kimberley.

Our first excursion from the ship, a Zodiac ride through the winding channels of the Buccaneer Archipelago, reveals a landscape of towering red rock cliffs, tranquil bays, mangrove-lined rivers, and an incredible variety of wildlife.

The region is also defined by its extreme tides — among the largest in the world. In some areas, water levels fluctuate by over 40 feet every few hours. These monumental tides are a key feature of the landscape.

As we zip around Hidden Island (so named because early explorers overlooked it when charting the coast), we witness the immense power of the tides at Whirlpool Pass, a narrow channel where the water churns violently due to the rapid flow.

However, it’s not until our second day of exploration, further east at Talbot Bay, that we truly grasp the scale of the tides. Here, we encounter one of the Kimberley’s most famous natural wonders: the twin ‘horizontal falls.’

Despite the name, these are not true waterfalls. Instead, they are massive 30-foot tides that rush through narrow gorges, creating temporary rapids that shift direction every few hours. The force of the water can reach up to 30 knots, and at its peak, the 'waterfall' effect of the tides cascading through the gorges can rise more than 10 feet, a breathtaking spectacle.

Until recently, many tour operators would take visitors through the horizontal falls in small boats. However, during our visit, we approach the falls by Zodiac but do not enter them, honoring the request of the Traditional Owners of the land, the Dambimangari people.

In Australia, the term ‘Traditional Owners’ refers to Indigenous groups or individuals with deep ancestral ties to a specific area of land.

The site of the horizontal falls holds great cultural significance for the Dambimangari, who have requested that boats no longer pass through the falls in respect of their traditions.

Even at the outer edges of the falls, we can still feel their immense power. Our Zodiac skids across the rushing water, and we instinctively clutch the safety ropes along the boat's sides.

A natural wonder

While the Kimberley is known for its vast, untouched wilderness, it's not entirely devoid of human presence. This becomes evident the following day when Seabourn Pursuit anchors in the remote Kuri Bay.

Accessible only by boat or floatplane, Kuri Bay is home to Australia's oldest pearl farming operation, established in 1956.

We arrive by Zodiac at a small dock and tour a cluster of buildings where several dozen workers live for weeks, caring for thousands of seeded pearl oysters spread across the surrounding waters. The Paspaley Pearling Company operates the site, renowned for producing some of the world's finest pearls.

Long before the Kimberley became famous as a remote tourist haven, it was known for its pearls. Broome, the starting point for our journey, owes its origins to a 19th-century pearling boom along the coast, which was akin to a gold rush. At its peak, over 400 pearling boats, known as luggers, called Broome home.

The Kuri Bay tour provides an eye-opening look at modern pearling, which is far more intricate than I had imagined. For example, I learned that the wild pearl oysters here are individually seeded by hand with tiny polished spheres made from Mississippi clam shells — the perfect catalyst for creating flawless pearls.

This might just be the most obscure connection between America and Australia.

However, the highlight of our visit to Kuri Bay is the opportunity to experience the Kimberley from the sky. Paspaley offers short, 20-minute flights over the area aboard a vintage 1940s-era Mallard floatplane, typically used for supply runs.

From above during one of these flights, I’m mesmerized by the rows of pearling cages submerged in the crystal-clear waters surrounding the camp. I also gain a fresh perspective on the Kimberley’s vast, unbroken landscape. The rugged, scrubby land stretches for miles inland from the water’s edge.

The following day, we encounter a landscape so radically different that it feels like we’ve been transported to another world — perhaps even the moon.

At the break of dawn, one of our expedition guides gently wakes us through the public address system. The ship is anchored nearly ten miles from shore, and we are about to witness another of the Kimberley’s remarkable natural phenomena: land seemingly rising from the sea.

At least, that’s how it appears. Our guides explain that it’s not land at all, but Montgomery Reef, a vast marine ecosystem that appears to emerge from the ocean every few hours, driven by the powerful tides of the Kimberley.

We rush to the reef in Zodiacs, awestruck as millions of gallons of water pour from the rising reef in turbulent streams, uncovering a landscape resembling a lava field with cracks and pools. Here, fish and marine life become a feast for waiting egrets. Dolphins, a green sea turtle, and even reef sharks, manta rays, and dugongs (sea creatures similar to manatees) arrive to partake in the bounty.

Through an onboard lecture, we learn that this is the largest inshore reef in the world, and one of the most unique. The massive tidal changes expose the reef to the sun for several hours each day, causing some corals to secrete a mucus-like substance that protects them from drying out or burning — a natural form of sunscreen.

Rock Art and a Paradise Island

While the first days of our journey focus on the awe-inspiring landscape of the Kimberley, the following days shift toward the Indigenous peoples who have lived in this region for tens of thousands of years. Along the way, we experience two incredible wildlife encounters: a crocodile safari in Pororus Creek and a snorkeling adventure at a pristine reef.

Our immersion into the lives of the Indigenous people begins just hours after visiting Montgomery Reef, when we disembark by Zodiac at Freshwater Cove for a hike. Our guide leads us inland through thorny acacia shrubs and rough-barked corymbia trees to a cave adorned with ancient rock art that’s thousands of years old.

A member of the Indigenous Worrorra people, who have ancestral ties to this land, waits to guide us. He shows us ancient images of fish, stingrays, turtles, and other animals painted on the cave ceiling, along with a web-like symbol representing a cyclone. These images were created using ocher pigments derived from natural sources, and they have endured for thousands of years. (In respect for the wishes of the Traditional Owners of the land, I am not sharing pictures of the art from Freshwater Cove.)

The cave art, shielded from the elements by an overhang, belongs to the Wandjina period, which is believed to have existed around 4,000 years ago, or possibly earlier. We are told this is just one of many similar sites scattered across the region.

A few days later, we visit Ngula (Jar Island) and encounter even older rock art — possibly tens of thousands of years old. Found in cave-like spaces within rocky outcrops, this Gwion Gwion art stands in stark contrast to the Wandjina paintings. It features intricately drawn human figures adorned with tassels, bags, and headdresses.

The Gwion Gwion art, along with other similar depictions across the area, is considered to be the oldest known detailed representations of human figures in the world.

The visit to this site has a significant backstory. Over the past several years, Seabourn has fostered a partnership with the Wunambal Gaambera people, the Traditional Owners of the Ngula region, which is a rare development in the history of Kimberley tourism. As part of this collaboration, Seabourn has contributed to funding a Wunambal Gaambera project to build infrastructure that will enable visits to the area on the community's terms.

As a result of this partnership, Wunambal Gaambera representatives greet Seabourn passengers to the island with a traditional Welcome to Country smoke ceremony, which I had the privilege of experiencing during my visit.

In addition, Seabourn Pursuit is accompanied by two Traditional Owners from the Kimberley region, who act as Indigenous guides, sharing both their personal stories and the experiences of their people.

Such direct engagement with Traditional Owners is a rare experience in the Kimberley, something that has been largely absent until now.

Our exploration of rock art at Freshwater Cove and Ngula is framed by our thrilling crocodile encounter at Porosus Creek, with a final day devoted to our only journey beyond the Kimberley coast: a visit to Ashmore Reef.

Located nearly 200 miles off the Kimberley coast in the Indian Ocean, Ashmore Reef is a remote cluster of three sandy islands surrounded by one of the most pristine coral reefs on the planet.

Although the visit to Ashmore Reef primarily serves as a 'technical stop' to comply with Australian maritime laws (since Seabourn Pursuit is a foreign vessel), it also presents an opportunity for a brief but breathtaking snorkeling experience along the reef.

Among the highlights of my dive were the sight of massive clams and the vivid bluish-purple sea stars — unlike any I had ever seen before — that inhabit the reef. The coral's stunning variety, in every imaginable shape, size, and color, was equally impressive. The abundant reef fish added to the spectacle.

Luxury in the Kimberley

While the Kimberley coastline may lack much tourism infrastructure, it certainly doesn't mean we're roughing it. As we explore bay after bay by Zodiac and on foot, we're doing it in complete luxury.

Unlike many other expedition ships that visit this region, Seabourn Pursuit offers all the luxury and sophistication of a top-tier hotel, featuring expansive suites, stylish lounges, exquisite dining, and a full-service spa.

Part of this luxurious experience is due to the ship's size, which is considerably larger than some of the smaller vessels that have long served the region, such as True North's 36-passenger True North and 20-passenger True North II.

Even when compared to some of the newer, larger ships from other international lines making their debut in the Kimberley, Seabourn Pursuit stands out with its superior size and variety of amenities. For example, it is more than twice the size of Ponant's 184-passenger Le Jacques-Cartier, which is also visiting the Kimberley for the first time this year.

The larger size of Seabourn Pursuit not only allows for more luxurious amenities but also for a larger crew. With 238 crew members on board, there's nearly one staff member for each guest — a ratio that is rarely seen. This should theoretically ensure exceptional service, although in my experience, the service quality was occasionally inconsistent.

Among the luxurious offerings on our cruise were endless Champagne and caviar, available at any time, anywhere on the ship, without additional charge, as well as multi-course meals served in an elegant dining room.

During Zodiac excursions, the dining team often surprises passengers with Champagne or refreshing ice pops delivered directly to their boats. After our morning adventure to Montgomery Reef, we landed on a sandbar where staff greeted us with Bloody Marys and Champagne.

This is undoubtedly the most luxurious way to explore the Kimberley — but only if you're willing to spend big.

As you'd expect from a vessel of this caliber, Seabourn Pursuit carries a price tag that might catch some by surprise. The suites on board — every cabin is a suite — typically start at around $2,000 per night.

The most affordable Kimberley coast departures on Seabourn Pursuit begin at $8,499 per person for double occupancy. (That means a couple would pay at least $16,998 for a cabin.)

To be fair, such a steep price isn't entirely out of the ordinary for an expedition cruise to the Kimberley. Cruises by Silversea, Ponant, and Scenic in the region typically start at a similar price point.

The final crocodile encounter

It seemed almost inevitable that expedition cruise companies would increase their presence in the Kimberley over time.

For many years, expedition cruises were largely centered around exploring the two most remote and captivating places on Earth: Antarctica and the Arctic. These voyages took travelers to the farthest reaches of the polar regions, places most people would never have the chance to witness.

As the popularity of expedition cruises surged, companies began seeking new, breathtaking destinations for their clients. Of all the remote and awe-inspiring places accessible by ship, few rival the Kimberley in terms of its natural beauty and unique wildlife.

I reflected on this during our final excursion aboard Seabourn Pursuit, a thrilling Zodiac journey up the magnificent King George River. The landscape felt almost otherworldly, reminiscent of Antarctica, with towering red rock cliffs lining the riverbanks, growing ever taller as we ventured deeper. The river eventually led to a dead end at King George Falls, a breathtaking cascade of waterfalls that plunges dramatically over ancient sandstone cliffs.

As I sat in the Zodiac, gazing up at this awe-inspiring sight, I marveled at how wild and untamed this land remains, untouched by the hands of modern civilization.

Though humans have inhabited this area for tens of thousands of years, it still belongs to the creatures of the wild—crocodiles, monitor lizards (one of which observed us from a rocky perch at the base of the falls), and brahminy kites, just as much as it does to people.

Just as we were nearing the river’s mouth, racing back to Seabourn Pursuit for our last dinner on the Kimberley coast, we were treated to one final wildlife spectacle: a solitary crocodile.

It rested on a sandbar at the river’s end, as though standing guard over its territory.

We paused briefly to admire the majestic creature, but we didn’t linger. The moment had come for us to depart.

This was the crocodile's domain, and it was time for us to leave it to him.

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