Into the wild: Zodiac cruising in the Kimberley

The beating heart of Kimberley expeditions, Zodiac cruises are how you'll get up close and immerse yourself into this stretch of Australia’s coastline. 

Your ship, whether Ponant’s Le Jacques Cartier or the 30-guest Paspaley Pearl, gets you there; the Zodiac gets you in. 

What is a Zodiac, and why does the Kimberley run on them?

A Zodiac is a rigid inflatable boat (RIB), a sturdy, low-riding tender built to carry small groups of passengers into places 100-metre expedition ships could never reach. In the Kimberley, that means threading through mangrove-lined creeks, into the mist of waterfalls and riding the churn of tidal rapids that would be impossible to approach any other way.

The Kimberley coastline has one of the largest tidal ranges on Earth – up to 10 metres in places – which creates extraordinary phenomena like the "rising" reef at Montgomery Reef and the whitewater rapids at Horizontal Falls. 

Because of this drastic change in depth, let alone narrow passageways, expedition ships anchor offshore in deep water and Zodiacs become the shuttle, safari vehicle, and scenic cruiser all in one. 

As one operator puts it plainly, expedition cruise days in the Kimberley are typically structured around Zodiac tours and shore landings, with early starts that make the most of the tides and cooler morning air.

Wonders you’ll experience on a Zodiac excursion

Almost every Kimberley itinerary, regardless of operator or ship size, builds its highlights around Zodiac excursions to the region’s most iconic and remote sites:

• Montgomery Reef: Australia's largest inshore reef, where the outgoing tide makes the reef appear to rise dramatically out of the sea. Zodiacs cruise the channels as waterfalls cascade off the exposed coral shelves.
• Horizontal Falls: In Talbot Bay, a tidal range of up to 10 metres forces water through two narrow gorges, creating a "waterfall" effect. Zodiacs ride the surge for one of the most talked-about moments of any Kimberley cruise.
• King George Falls: The King George River carries you by Zodiac between towering 2,000-million-year-old sandstone cliffs to the base of Western Australia's highest twin waterfall, dropping around 80 metres.
• Hunter River and Prince Regent River: Zodiac cruises through mangrove-lined tributaries known for saltwater crocodiles, mudskippers, and birdlife, often continuing on to King Cascade, a "hanging garden" waterfall.
• Vansittart Bay and Jar Island: Zodiac landings give access to ancient Gwion Gwion and Wandjina Aboriginal rock art galleries, some of the oldest art on Earth, plus WWII wreck sites.
• Lacepede Islands: A Zodiac-only wildlife stop for massive seabird colonies, including brown boobies and roseate terns.

The exact mix depends on your route (Broome–Darwin or the reverse), the season, and your operator, but if a Kimberley itinerary doesn't feature most of these, it's worth asking why.

All Zodiacs included, all the time

In all of our partner sailings, and most Kimberley expedition cruises, Zodiac cruising is considered core to the Kimberley expedition experience and is not an optional add-on. It’s included in the base cruise fare as it’s such an integral part of the journey. 

Without them, it’s hard to say you’ve truly seen the Kimberley just from the deck of a ship.

Ensuring every passenger has a seat on the boats and wait times are kept at a minimum, expedition ships host large fleets of the inflatable tenders. Ships like Scenic Eclipse II carry a dozen Zodiacs with every journey, while Silversea’s Silver Cloud brings 20.

Endless opportunities to explore the Kimberley

On a typical multi-day Kimberley expedition cruise, Zodiac excursions happen daily and often more than once a day. Expect a morning excursion, timed early to catch the best light and cooler temperatures, followed by lunch back on board, then a second Zodiac outing or shore landing in the afternoon. 

Journeys to the more remote or inland destinations, like King George Falls, may take up a half-day or more on their own.

Smaller, boutique operators with bigger Zodiac fleets relative to guest numbers tend to get everyone ashore or out on the water faster, meaning less time waiting around and more time exploring.

Small details for an unforgettable experience

• Dress for wet landings. Many Zodiac excursions involve stepping from the tender into shallow water or directly onto a beach. Quick-dry clothing, secure sandals or reef shoes, and a dry bag for cameras are worth packing.
• Zodiac numbers are capped. Expect somewhere between eight and 12 guests per Zodiac, with an expedition guide driving and narrating.
• Tides dictate the schedule. Because so much of the Kimberley's drama comes from its extreme tidal range, Zodiac departure times shift daily according to the tide charts, so don't be surprised if your "morning excursion" starts at 6.30 am.
• Weather can reshuffle plans. Expedition itineraries are flexible by design; if conditions aren't right for one site, expect the crew to substitute another Zodiac excursion rather than cancel outright.