SWA OWS Series: Koombana Bay

The water here is remarkably calm, a stark contrast to the turbulent Indian Ocean swells that crash against the coastline further west. As you sight for the next buoy, you are cutting through a sheltered inlet where the seafloor rises gently, a characteristic shallowness of Geographe Bay that once forced captains to anchor miles from the shore. The rhythm of your stroke is accompanied by the knowledge that this bay has been a focal point for maritime history since 1803, when Captain Louis de Freycinet sailed the Casuarina past these very coordinates, naming the inlet Port Leschenault.

## The history beneath the surface

While your focus remains on the race, the area holds a complex narrative. The calm of the morning belies a more volatile past, including the 1976 incident where activists detonated explosives at the local woodchip terminal, an event that sent shockwaves across the entire region. This is not just a sporting venue; it is a space shaped by the early 19th-century whaling industry that established the first European footprint in Bunbury. Today, however, the most frequent visitors are the wild bottlenose dolphins, often spotted near the Dolphin Discovery Centre that overlooks the course.

## Race day logistics

Part of the Swimming WA OWS Series, the Koombana Bay event on 23 January 2027 offers distances ranging from 500m to 10km, catering to both local club swimmers and endurance specialists. The logistics are managed by the state governing body, ensuring a controlled environment within the protective embrace of the artificial breakwater built in 1903. Whether you are navigating the shorter sprints or the full 10km, the course remains contained within this historical harbour. The water temperature typically settles into a comfortable range by mid-summer, allowing for a focused effort as you track towards the finish, mindful of the unique geography that defines this Western Australian coastline.