Jabiru at Sunrise – A Moment off Karumba, QLD

While travelling through Far North Queensland, I found myself on the coast of Karumba, where the Gulf of Carpentaria stretches wide under an endless sky. At sunrise, with the tide low and the world still quiet, I spotted something unexpected—a Jabiru, also known as the Black-necked Stork, wading through the shallow ocean waters.

This large, striking bird is typically found in Australia’s floodplains and wetlands, so to see it here—poised in the soft light of morning, silhouetted against the shimmering sea—was unforgettable. Its long red legs moved slowly through the tidal flats, and its dark, iridescent neck glowed with hints of green and blue as the sun crept higher.

The Jabiru is a solitary hunter, feeding on frogs, turtles, eels—and even snakes. Here, along the edge of land and sea, it was completely at ease, blending into its surroundings with a quiet elegance that stopped me in my tracks.

This image became more than a photograph—it became a moment of stillness, of connection with a wilder world. Captured just as the day began, it’s a reminder that nature’s surprises are often waiting where we least expect them.