Broome based biologist, fisher, and conservationist Jason Fowler has generously donated use of his yacht for numerous science and conservation expeditions to the wild Kimberley Coast. This Christmas break, Cyclone Hilda took him by surprise. After a race from family Christmas in Geraldton and a brave seven-hour battle at sea, his beloved yacht (and home) was left beached and heavily damaged.
Please help repay Jason’s generosity, and get him back on the water doing what he does best – promoting and protecting the Kimberley Coast, the world’s last pristine tropical coastline.
You can read more about his fight at sea to save Shaguar in his extraordinary story “Surviving Cyclone Hilda” at www.likenowhereelse.org.au/cyclone_hilda
FURTHER DETAILS:
Cyclone Hilda took Jason and Broome by surprise. As the weather reports showed increasing risk, Jason rushed from his family Christmas break in Geraldton back to Broome. He arrived just in time to launch his dinghy into an already dangerously rough ocean and reach his yacht, Shaguar.
He then followed BOM advice to stay put as the cyclone passed by offshore, but the advice turned out to be wrong. Instead of passing offshore, the cyclone came into Roebuck Bay and intensified, leaving Jason fighting at sea in the middle of a tropical cyclone.
Soon the winds snapped his mooring, and as wind and water stripped paint from the decks and knocked him off his feet, he fought bravely for seven hours to keep the yacht afloat, eventually losing the battle and surfing her in the dark onto a small beach between rocks in Roebuck Bay. Moments later, a much larger vessel that had also snapped its moorings was thrown onto the rocks nearby by the massive waves.
Since then, the supportive Broome community has pitched in to refloat Shaguar, and get her into drydock for repair. But Jason now faces an unaffordable bill to get her seaworthy again. And so he needs our help.
The yacht, Shaguar, is also Jason’s home. In 2015 Jason put everything into the vessel and sailed it from the Whitsundays to Broome so he could live his dream of exploring the Kimberley Coast and fighting for its conservation.
His generosity in donating the use of his yacht and expertise as a skipper has supported scientific research into corals, migratory shorebirds, snubfin dolphins and humpback whales.
He has also supported efforts to establish the new Great Kimberley Marine Park through voluntary filming expeditions, and through his conversations with fishers on the water that have helped to ensure the park works for fishers and conservation.
Jason did everything he could. He took the advice of the Department of Meteorology. He flew to Broome and risked everything to save his yacht. Sadly, it is nearly impossible to get cyclone insurance for an older vessel like Shaguar, but he had a cyclone plan that he was only hours too late to implement. But with your help, we can get him back on the water helping to save the Kimberley Coast.
TESTIMONIALS:
"Jason’s generous donation of his time, yacht and expertise as a skipper has made collecting key data on whales and dolphins of the Kimberley possible. These data feed directly into knowledge-based management decisions and conservation of critical species into the future. It is costly to access this remote region for research. Having Jason back on the water will provide for new opportunities for scientists to visit, understand and help protect the wildlife of this remote region.”
Chandra P. Salgado Kent PhD., MSc., BS.
Deputy Director, Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University
“Jason has generously volunteered his yacht and expertise to numerous expeditions to the remote Kimberley. Many of the beautiful images and video that conservation groups use to promote the Kimberley have come from Shaguar. Also, by being on the water talking to people, Jason has helped ensure that new marine parks work as best as possible for both conservation and for fishers. Getting Jason back on the water will mean he can continue to be a great champion for Kimberley conservation.”
Tim Nicol,
Kimberley Manager, Pew Charitable Trusts & Kimberley Like Nowhere Else Alliance
Hi Jason, Hope this helps towards those last little things that need to be done so your back in the water for Easter!