Mystery island on our doorstep

Diving near Christmas Island is spectacular and rivals the Great Barrier Reef. Pictures: Chris Bray. Source: Supplied

AN emerald green island set among the sapphire-blue waters of the Indian Ocean, Australia's very own Galápagos lies waiting to be discovered.

To many people's surprise, you don't need to be an illegal immigrant to end up on Christmas Island. In fact, regular passenger airlines fly there from Perth three times a week. While currently only 800 tourists visit the island each year, word is spreading that this tropical paradise is in fact a wildlife mecca, unlike anything else in Australia, or even the world.

Word is spreading about the paradise hiding on Christmas Island. Pictures: Chris Bray. Source: Supplied

Around 800 visitors per year head to Christmas Island. Pictures: Chris Bray. Source: Supplied

The famous red crab migration is no secret. Popularised by David Attenborough in his early documentaries, he still rates this annual spectacle of over fifty million red crabs marching from their inland burrows down to the coast to spawn as one of his most memorable experiences.

This spectacular though rather unpredictable event occurs at the start of the wet season (December to April) and transport on the island all but grinds to a halt with road closures.

For tourists, this is hardly a problem, as the secret is you're better off underwater. Who knew that huge Manta rays congregate around this remote island to feast on the crab and coral spawn during the wet season, along with gigantic whale sharks? Why join the crowds of snorkellers trying desperately to keep up with Whale Sharks as they migrate swiftly past the West Australian coastline when you could relax and swim with them all day, here at their destination?

Coconut crabs can be seen on Christmas Island. Pictures: Chris Bray. Source: Supplied

A group of red crabs scuttle underneath a sign titled 'Road Closed, Red Crab Migration, No Entry By Vehicles Beyond This Point' on Murray Road, Christmas Island. Source: News Limited

Another surprising, lesser-known fact is that even outside the wet season the island is still crawling with a myriad of different colours and sizes of crabs (including the formidable coconut or robber crab with a leg-span up to one metre), and the snorkelling and diving remains absolutely world-class.

Visibility in the crystal-clear, 28-degree water often exceeds 30 metres and while boat trips out to resident pods of dolphins, wrecks, drop-offs and other sites do exist, simply wading in from the beach snorkellers are immediately surrounded by a kaleidoscope of corals and fish rivalling the Great Barrier Reef itself.

A Whale Shark cruises the shore of Christmas Island. Source: News Limited

Golden Bosuns are frequently seen on Christmas Island. Pictures: Chris Bray. Source: Supplied

Turtles, reef sharks, lionfish, eels, clownfish (think 'Nemo'), angelfish and triggerfish all intertwine around clams, gardens of anemone, plate corals and more.

The island boasts impressive blowholes, waterfalls and even several cave systems — both underwater and above.

Tucked away on the eastern side there's even a secret white sandy beach rimmed by coconut palms, where visitors are more likely to find tracks from nesting turtles than human footprints. Although only mere 19km long, almost two-thirds of this tiny island is protected by National Park, and it's interwoven with around 140km of mostly gravel roads, all leading to various wonders.

Christmas Island holds many secrets. Pictures: Chris Bray. Source: Supplied

The Galapagos of the Indian Ocean: Christmas Island. Pictures: Chris Bray. Source: Supplied

Christmas Island positively shimmers with birdlife too — and has done since time immemorial. Frigatebirds (including an endemic species) hang high in the humid air, scanning for red-footed or brown boobies to spectacularly dogfight into releasing their bellyfuls of fish. Elegant pairs of red-tailed tropicbirds and Golden Bosuns (another endemic) row themselves through the sky as fast as their theatrically long tails permit, and just like in The Galapagos, the birds on Christmas Island are enchantingly unafraid of humans due to their historical lack of predators. Roosting birds here would sooner peck you than move out of your way.

There are plenty of tropical fish varieties to see diving near Christmas Island. Pictures: Chris Bray. Source: Supplied

Over the ages, it was the combined droppings from all these birds that formed enough guano to sustain phosphate mining on the island for over a century. It was for this fertiliser industry that the island was first settled in 1888 by the British, bringing with them a vibrant mixture of Singaporean, Malaysian and Chinese workers who still make up the bulk of the population today, despite the island being captured by the Japanese in WWII and finally passing to Australia in 1958.

Out of sight, though no longer out of mind, discover Christmas Island now before this Galapagos of Australia starts to become as busy as its popular Pacific cousin!

Chris Bray runs photo safaris to Christmas Island every May. For more information visit chrisbray.net

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