Nature’s Nursery & Mitchell Falls 🚁
Kimberley, Australia Expedition Day 9 of 14
Written by Scott David Martin | May 7, 2023
The Dash [ - ] goes behind the scenes of a WABU filmmaking expedition in the remote Northwest region of Australia, The Kimberley. In this 14-part series, we’ll share the highs and lows, from marathon shoots aboard luxurious yachts to heart-stopping encounters with nature's fiercest creatures.
Exploring natures nursery, the mangroves at Hunter River
©SEABOURN | 📷 C. Trantina
From Croc Country to the Skies
Our love affair with the Kimberley is getting serious.
At this rate, we might need to write to our spouses.
With six days left, the question hangs:
Are we on track to finish the commercial and capture the photos we promised?
Mostly.
We hit all our locations.
But some of the most crucial shots still lie ahead.
Deep breaths.
Hunter River, Australia -32° 54' 59.99 S 151° 44' 59.99 E
Super moon in route to Hunter River
©SEABOURN | 📷 S. Martin
Today mirrors Day 7 in its logistical complexity:
Two locations.
Two wildly different environments.
Morning in Hunter River.
Home to Australia's legendary crocs.
Afternoon at Mitchell Falls.
Accessible only by helicopter.
BUT there is a snag
The internet is completely down.
No Starlink?
No confirmation from the helicopter company.
No way to verify that our aircraft are inbound.
Would we be stranded on a beach,
unable to reach one of our most important locations?
HMU Manny croc scouting
Crocs and Chaos
As dawn breaks, the mangroves come alive.
First with the prehistoric crocs,
then with the vibrant chorus of birds.
These tangled forests aren’t just gorgeous.
They filter runoff.
Protect coastlines.
These serve as fish nurseries, and host rich biodiversity.
Australia has the third-largest mangrove area in the world.
Let’s not screw that up, humanity.
Then came the radio crackle.
“We have a problem,” says Robin, our Expedition Leader.
“The Zodiac broke down.”
Marc, our producer, replies instantly:
“Nyaid coming to you for immediate support.”
With Akiko out of radio range, the Nyaid is our only working vessel.
Captain Josh guns it through narrow waterways toward the crippled MK5 Zodiac.
The tide is falling.
We are alone.
No other boats. No safety net.
A voice breaks the tension.
Andrew looks at the stranded Zodiac and cracks.
“You good paddling that thing back to Akiko?”
Everyone laughed.
Then someone else shouts:
“There’s a crocodile behind us.”
Primal Nature
We freeze.
The croc is close…and approaching.
She stalks us with unnerving precision.
Moving through the water like a stealth bomber.
I keep the camera trained on her while the team rushes to fix the MK5.
She’s patient.
Confident.
And completely at home in these murky waters.
We, on the other hand, are trespassers.
The crocodile senses our vulnerability.
We are sitting ducks.
Crocodile lurking in Hunter River
©SEABOURN | 📷 S. Martin
My heartbeat is hammering in my ears.
She moves with purpose.
Her body low.
Eyes locked.
No splashing, no warning.
Calculated moves from a creature that’s ruled these waters for millennia.
Crocodiles haven’t changed in 200 million years.
Because they haven’t needed to.
A perfect predator.
One second she is gliding toward us.
The next, she vanishes.
The murk is thick.
We couldn’t see more than a foot below.
Is she circling?
Preparing to strike like the airborne croc we saw in Broome?
In my mind, she’s 15 feet long.
Later, the footage would reveal she was maybe eight.
But fear doesn’t care about scale.
She surfaces again.
Closer now.
And gone.
In that moment, I realize:
If she makes a move, we don’t see it coming.
Sitting ducks in croc country
©SEABOURN | 📷 C. Trantina
Enter MacGyver
Just as she resurfaces, the MK5 sputters to life.
Captain Josh pulls off a mechanical miracle.
It may have only taken him five minutes,
BUT it took 15 years of skill to make that possible.
That’s the thing about working on six continents.
We learn that the greatest asset isn’t gear or plans.
It’s people.
And today, Josh proves why he’s one of Kimberley’s best.
With the boats back in business,
we load back into the MK5 and Nyaid.
The croc never strikes, but her presence lingers.
Momentum is high.
We nail the shots.
Speeding back toward Akiko, adrenaline is still humming in our veins.
The danger had passed.
But something else hit me just as hard.
Gratitude.
We’d faced down chaos again, and made it through.
Not because one of us, but because all of us did our part.
Like Water Buffaloes.
Heads down, moving forward together.
Alone, none of us could’ve handled the pressure, the risks, the timing.
But together, as WABU, we adapt, react, and deliver.
Every crew member steps up.
Every role matters.
World-class collaborators in the wild.
I am on cloud nine.
BUT doubt immediately creeps in.
I remember.
The helis.
The tide rises at Hunter River
©SEABOURN | 📷 C. Trantina
Mitchell Falls
With Hunter River wrapped, our next challenge begins:
Capturing Mitchell Falls, sacred to the Wunambal people and stunning beyond words.
BUT the helicopters are still unconfirmed.
“Marc,” I ask, “are we good?”
“I’m not 100% sure,” he says.
Those are words you never want to hear from Marc.
Starlink still down.
No comms.
No confirmation.
We prep on the beach, nerves running high.
It is dead silent.
But then we hear it.
The sound of rotor blades echoing off the canyon walls.
“All radios! All radios!
Helicopters inbound!” Marc declares.
We’re grinning like little kids.
After syncing with the pilots, we board immediately.
The sunset is our target.
The clock is ticking.
From the air, the journey Mitchell Falls is otherworldly.
Nature on full display.
I wish everyone could see The Kimberley from the sky.
Impossible to describe.
Our crew filmed in 50+ countries on six continents.
We all still dream of The Kimberley.
The smiles said it all.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better.
We arrive at the falls.
Four tiers of water dropping 80 meters into emerald pools.
The view feels more like orbit than Earth.
Flying above the Kimberley reminds me of
how astronauts describe Earth from space.
Smaller.
More connected, and fragile.
It’s an experience that reshapes our view of Earth.
Landing in the remote Kimberley wilderness near Mitchell Falls
We land in the remote wilderness, blades still spinning.
“You’ve got 30 minutes,” the pilot says flatly.
BUT our hero shot was still a hike away.
No time to think. Just move.
Grab the gear.
Start sprinting.
No trail.
No guarantees. Just instinct and urgency.
WABU mode, activated.
The majestic Mitchell Falls
©SEABOURN | 📷 S. Martin
We reach the spot, frame the shots and capture the falls.
Photo.
Video
Drone.
We hustle back.
The Helis fire back up.
The light is dropping fast.
And the pilots had to beat the dark.
Flying High
Flight still feels like a miracle to me.
I’ll never take it for granted.
Every shot from the air is a gift.
A thank you to the Wright Brothers, and everyone who followed.
BUT the day’s most important shot hadn’t happened yet.
As we land back on the beach in a “hot drop,” chaos reigns.
Helicopter blades churn the sand.
Gear flying.
Pilots needing to get out fast.
The sunlight is fading.
Seconds to act.
The crew scrambles.
Seabourn Pursuit tendering near Hunter River
©SEABOURN | 📷 C. Trantina
Chris launches the drone.
First frame comes up.
I gasp.
“This is it,” I scream over the blades.
“What’s the shot, dude?” he yells with excitement, nerves tight.
“Fly back. Go wide, fire a photo and push in for video,”
I yell, jumping up and down.
Seconds later, the helicopters lift off.
Chris nails it.
Chris and I start giggling.
I’ll never forget Chris’s smile that day.
I’m so proud to be his teammate.
The symphony of the blades slowly leave the canyon.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The drone is screaming to land.
Battery critical.
With seconds left, touch down.
Chris and I share one of the best high five of our lives.
We didn’t know it then,
but this frame would carry the entire Seabourn Pursuit launch.
The ship was still under construction.
We had no product to shoot.
But this moment gave our team the visual canvas we needed to make VFX magic.
Another cornerstone capture for the expedition brand.
The 360 brand campaign is starting to breathe.
What a Day
We began in croc country.
Ended in the clouds.
Captain Josh saves us from disaster.
Chris captures the shot of the trip.
And for one terrifying, beautiful moment,
a crocodile reminds us who really rules the Kimberley.
World class team-ship.
Optimism in the face of adversity.
These are Water Buffaloes.
This is WABU.
Returning to Akiko at Sunset
Up Next on The Dash ( — )
The historic Jumba dance on Jar Island.