ABC’s The Kimberley ventures to the coastal region for its second installment, set to air Tuesday, May 20, at 8:00 PM AEST. The episode will examine the oceanic dramas and ecological features of this remote Australian expanse, including its vibrant reefs and offshore islands.
Viewers will journey with migrating humpback whales as they arrive from Antarctica to give birth in the Sea Country of the Dambimangari People, near the Tropic of Capricorn. The program also documents dominant crocodiles pushing younger rivals downstream during the Koolawa season and tracks migratory shorebirds fattening up on the mudflats of Yawuru Country before their arctic journey. Mark Coles Smith guides audiences through the tidal flats at the mouth of the Martuwarra River.
The episode details the mating rituals of mudskippers, or “buggle-buggles,” and the nocturnal hunts of an ultra-rare mangrove snake. Conservation efforts by Dambimangari Land and Sea Rangers to protect endangered northern quolls (Wijingarry) from feral cats and invasive cane toads are also featured. The reclusive Kimberley nabarlek, nearly extinct on the mainland, is shown clinging to survival on offshore islands. A significant segment is dedicated to Yowjab / Montgomery Reef, where Australia’s largest tidal fluctuations reveal extensive coral gardens.
