Tim Winton on waiting for the wonder of coral spawn: 'Honestly, come night number six, I'm over it'

From freediving at night to eating raw shrimp straight from the sea, the author catalogues the tribulations - and magic - of watching the annual regeneration of Ningaloo ReefGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailI've spent many thousands of hours in the water at Ningaloo Reef. And I've seen wonders. Swum with tiger sharks. Stopped a whale shark in its tracks (under strict scientific supervision). I've been eye-to-eye with a humpback whale. And I've held a 400kg dugong in my arms (again, as part of a scientific study). So I count myself very lucky.But until recently, there was one thing I'd never witnessed at Ningaloo, and that's the annual spawning of the coral. In the process of making our documentary series Ningaloo Nyinggulu, I finally got to experience that marvel. But bugger me, did I have to work for it. Continue reading...