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King Sound
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King Sound, Western Australia

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King Sound, Western Australia

King Sound extends from the estuary of the Fitzroy River, which when in flood is thought to be the largest river in Australia.

King Sound has the greatest tidal range in Australia and one of the greatest in the world, with high tides reaching up to 12 metres.

Buccaneer Archipelago is made up of around 1,000 small islands and is one of the most remote and isolated parts of northwest Australia.

With each tide, the Buccaneer Archipelago experiences a unique natural phenomenon known as Horizontal Waterfalls.

The town of Derby is located on the mud flats of King Sound, and is one of the oldest and most remote towns in northwest Australia’s Kimberley region.

Derby is home to the Boab Prison Tree, which is believed to be about 1,500 years old and was used to hold prisoners in the town’s early days.

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Flying at 13,000m - A changing coastal environment

King Sound can be seen in the bottom left of this satellite image of the Kimberley region with the Fitzroy River visible emanating from the southern tip of the sound.

King Sound is marked on this map of Western Australia. It is part of the Kimberley Region, which makes up the remote northern portion of the state.

The effect of the high tides is clear on the rocks of Geikie Gorge on the Fitzroy River. The water has undercut the rocks and changed the colour of them.

Map of the routes taken by Phillip Parker King who was one of the first explorers of Australia; King Sound is named after him.

This map shows the strength, or amplitude, of tides across the globe. Highest tides are indicated by a red colour - note that northwest Australia is marked in dark red.

1846 - Etching entitled "Dangerous Situation of Beagle" depicts HMS Beagle navigating the trecherous tides of northwest Australia. King Sound was first traversed by the Beagle in 1838.

The strong tidal currents of King Sound can be seen in this satellite image. The sound's rugged coastline is shaped by the strong tides.

Low tide on the coast of King Sound. Here it is possible to see how the sound is a flooded estuary, with streams leading out to the sea.

The changing colour of the rocks along the Fitzroy River at Gelkie Gorge show the height of the tide when the river is in flood.

These fossilised dinosaur footprints provide a vital insight into early life in Australia.

Dinosaur footprints have been found preserved in the ancient sandstone surrounding King Sound.

Floodplain of the Fitzroy River with King Sound in the distance. The Fitzroy River is prone to flooding each year, and when in flood it is probably the largest river in Australia.

c. 1828 - Phillip Parker King was an early explorer and surveyor of Australia's coastline. King Sound was named after him.

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Flying at 8,000m - Buccaneer Archipelago

Horizontal waterfalls occur in the Buccaneer Archipelago when the changing tide draws strong currents through the narrow gaps between the islands.

As global sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age, Australia's coastline was flooded resulting in islands such as the Buccaneer Archipelago.

When the tides come in or flow out of Buccaneer Archipelago, fast flowing water pushes through the narrow gaps between the islands creating horizontal waterfalls.

Buccaneer Archipelago can be seen as the cluster of islands fringing the northeastern coast of King Sound.

As the tide builds up behind the gorges, it can't flow through quickly enough. At times, walls of water up to four metres high can build up.

Horizontal waterfalls flow through the gaps between the Buccaneer Archipelago islands as the fast-changing tide creates strong currents.

Torrents of water cascade through the gorges of the Buccaneer Archipelago with each changing of the tide.

The shallow water of the Buccaneer Archipelago is the perfect environment for mangrove forests to thrive, shown here at the bottom of the image.

Buccaneer Archipelago contains some of the most remote islands in Australia off the northwest coast of the Kimberley.

Buccaneer Archipelago fringes the northern edge of King Sound. Each time the tide changes, strong currents push through the gaps between the islands.

The coastline of the Kimberley is scattered with islands. Buccaneer Archipelago is the largest cluster of islands, with up to 1,000 making up the archipelago.

Buccaneer Archipelago is made up of the tops of hills that have been left exposed while the rest of the land was flooded at the end of the last Ice Age.

Horizontal waterfalls and whirlpools make navigating the Buccaneer Archipelago by boat particularly challenging.

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Flying at ground level - Life on King Sound

1968 - An early road train transports cattle to Derby to be shipped from the wharf. Commercial shipping ceased from Derby in 1980.

Derby is one of the oldest and most remote towns in northwest Australia, located on the mud flats of King Sound.

1885 - Map of northwest Australia shortly after the settlement of Derby. Vast areas of this region were as yet unexplored at this time.

Derby is marked on this map of Australia from circa 1900, only a few decades after the town and the Kimberley region were settled.

The Boab Prison Tree is thought to be around 1,500 years old and has a hollow trunk that was used to house prisoners in the town's early days.

Derby is the second largest town in the Kimberley after Broome. The Kimberley is a large, remote region of Western Australia.

Low tide at Derby jetty. The jetty is a popular place for tourists and locals to watch the changing tide of King Sound.

Tidal marshes near Derby. The town experiences high tides of up to 12 metres twice each day.

1911 - The SS Koombana berthed at the original Derby wharf, which was built in 1894 to allow for imports and exports through King Sound.

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© 2013 Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)