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Ningaloo Reef - Facts
What is it?
The Ningaloo is a 280 km long 'fringing' coral reef skirting the Cape Range karst limestone peninsular, mid way up the West Australian coastline, 1200km north of Perth. Ningaloo Reef is the longest western fringing coral reef and one of the last healthy major coral reef systems in the world.
The Ningaloo region is so unique in its profound biodiversity that it easily qualifies for World Heritage Listing. This has not yet happened, however the Western Australian governement is currently preparing a nomination).
What's special about it?
http://www.save-ningaloo.org/frames/page1.html
Ningaloo Marine Park – features, history
A new management plan for the reserve will be developed at the completion of the bioregional planning process for the north-west marine region. Developing a management plan for the reserve at this time will provide greater efficiency and effectiveness in the management planning process, particularly in regard to stakeholder consultation. Following the declaration of any new Commonwealth reserves, stakeholders will be invited to comment on the development of the management plan for the region.
Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) stretches approximately 300km along the west coast of the Cape Range Peninsula near Exmouth, Western Australia approximately 1200km north of Perth. The total area of the reserve is 2435 km2. Ningaloo Reef, the longest fringing barrier reef in Australia, and the only example in the world of extensive fringing coral reef on the west coast of a continent, is adjacent to the reserve and is protected by the Ningaloo Marine Park (State Waters) which lies between the reserve and the WA coast. The combined State and Commonwealth waters of the Ningaloo Marine Park cover a total area of 5070km2.
The reserve is located in a transition zone between tropical and temperate waters and sustains tropical and temperate plants and animals, with many species at the limit of their distribution. The reserve's water depths range from a relatively shallow 30m to oceanic waters over 500m deep. One of the key features of the reserve is its annual visitors, the whale sharks, who visit the reserve each year between March and June.
Map showing reserve boundaries (PDF - 200 KB).
There has been a long association between Aboriginal people and the Ningaloo region. Materials found in rock shelters, shell middens and caves on the Cape Range Peninsula indicate that Aboriginal people have lived on the Ningaloo coast for over 30,000 years. These sites provide the oldest dated evidence for exploitation of marine resources and the earliest evidence for human decorative ornaments in Australia.
Two groups of Aboriginal people lived in the area. The Junigudira occupied North West Cape and the Cape Range peninsula to a line between the bottom of Exmouth Gulf and Whaleback Hills. Baiyungu Traditional Lands began at Point Quobba and extended up Whaleback Hills and the Point Cloates area. These people had sophisticated, coastally focused subsistence strategies and maintained an extensive trading network.
Aboriginal people are reported to have left the Cape Range peninsula either before or shortly after European settlement, possibly due to the introduction of diseases by whalers and pearlers operating out of Exmouth Gulf. More recently some of the traditional people have returned to the area. The Baiyungu Aboriginal Corporation has purchased and is managing Cardabia Station, near Coral Bay. The Ningaloo area is now spoken for by the Yamatji Land and Sea Council.
The word 'Ningaloo' is an Aboriginal word that means a 'promontory' of high land jutting into the sea.
The first recorded European contact with North West Cape was a sighting by the crew of the Dutch ship Zeewolf in 1618. Later in the same year, the first known landing by a European was made by Captain Jacobz of the ship Mauritius.
Humpback whale breaching
Source: Amanda Campbell
American whalers operated in the area as early as the 1790s, some 90 years before the land was used by Europeans for grazing. They appear to have initially targeted sperm whales. As their understanding of whale migrations improved, they began targeting humpback whales. While it is likely that these whalers went ashore to find fresh water and meat, they did not establish any infrastructure. Shore-based whaling occurred for brief periods between 1913 and 1955 at several points along the coast.
Divers searching for wild pearl shells worked mainly in Exmouth Gulf and the Rowley Shelf to the east and north of the reserve. Many of the pearling vessels, or "luggers", were wrecked as they travelled between Exmouth Gulf and Fremantle. There are no known shipwrecks in the Commonwealth waters of Ningaloo Marine Park.
In recent years, tourist facilities have developed around the popular towns of Exmouth and Coral Bay. The beauty of Ningaloo Marine Park and the many activities available in the area attract people from all over the world.
Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) has a diverse range of marine species and unique geomorphic features. The reserve provides essential biological and ecological links that sustain Ningaloo Reef, which occurs in the state waters of the Ningaloo Marine Park, including the supply of nutrients to reef communities from deeper waters further offshore.
The reserve incorporates a diversity of habitats including open ocean, the continental slope and the continental shelf. One of the major features of the reserve is the rapid drop-off in bottom depth in the northern part of the reserve, resulting in a narrow continental shelf that brings the shelf break unusually close to shore. In some areas depths of 100m occur within 6km of the shore and depths of 500m occur within 15km. In contrast, the continental shelf in the southern end of the reserve extends more than 30km from the coastline.
Coral reef and intertidal systems such as rocky shores, sandy beaches and mangroves are found in the state component of the Ningaloo Marine Park.
Four marine turtle species have been recorded in the reserve including the hawksbill, flatback, green and loggerhead turtles. Large predators including the oceanic whitetip shark, tiger shark, blue shark and grey reef shark also occur in deeper waters. The open ocean supports large numbers of fish, including trevally, tuna, mackerel, marlin and sailfish, many of which are found much closer to shore at the reserve than in other parts of the world due to the narrow continental shelf.
Recent research has revealed a wide variety of bottom dwelling species in the reserve, including many previously unrecorded in Australia. The deeper water communities are dominated by sponges with soft corals and algae living among them. The high numbers of species and unusual forms found in the diverse sponge garden habitats add to the reserve's importance.
Whales are a major feature of the reserve, with humpback whales migrating through twice a year on their annual migration between calving grounds off the Kimberley and feeding grounds in Antarctica. Blue and sperm whales have been observed in the offshore regions of the reserve as have minke, Bryde's, southern right and killer whales. Dolphins are also relatively common in the reserve.
The reserve is recognised internationally for its annual aggregations of whale sharks. It is thought that between 300 and 500 whale sharks visit each year. Aggregations generally occur between March and June, coinciding with mass coral spawning events and seasonal localised increases in productivity.
Manta rays are also known to aggregate in the area during autumn and winter.
Ningaloo Reef is one of the longest fringing barrier reefs in the world and is the only extensive fringing barrier reef that occurs on the western side of a continent. The reef contains a high diversity of corals (over 200 species), reef fish (over 460 species), molluscs, crustaceans and other reef plants and animals. Marine turtles, dugong and dolphins frequently visit the lagoon and aggregations of whale sharks and manta rays are found on the outer reef. The olive sea snake is commonly observed on the outer reef.
Further information about Ningaloo Reef and the state component of Ningaloo Marine Park can be found in the management plan for the Ningaloo Marine Park and Murion Islands Marine Management Area 2005-2015.
http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mpa/ningaloo/index.html
Australian Geographic Article – good statistics, natural history
Anyone who says megafauna are extinct has never donned goggles at Ningaloo Reef. I roll off the zodiac into the water and when I open my eyes see a 2m mammal heading straight towards me. I duck dive down to the seagrass on the sandy bottom and watch nervously as the creature comes within a body length of my goggles. Its whiskered face is so close I can see its round chocolate eyes looking curiously into mine. The encounter’s so unexpected I feel a flash of fear – I have no idea if dugongs are dangerous. After only a few days at Ningaloo, however, I’ve already learned the prerequisite for swimming here – put your worries aside. This is the playground of some of the world’s largest and most gentle animals.
With a flick of its mermaid tail, the dugong lifts its 400kg bulk to the surface and examines my companion, photographer Andrew Gregory, who’s manning the outboard.
After a few minutes, it’s seen enough.
Surprising me with its speed and grace, the dugong is, within seconds, a rapidly disappearing shadow.
The Ningaloo Coast has been nominated for World Heritage listing by the Australian Government with the support of the Western Australia Government. It has also been included in the National Heritage List - Australia's most prestigious heritage recognition.
The announcement that the nomination is being sent to the World Heritage Centre in Paris was made today in Perth by the Australian Government Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett and WA Environment Minister Donna Faragher.
The nomination, recognising the outstanding biological diversity of the region, is for an area of 708,000ha in midwest Western Australia, and includes Cape Range on Exmouth Peninsula, a coastal strip extending about 260km south to Red Bluff, as well as adjacent dunefields, marine areas, reefs and islands. Mr Garrett said he took great pleasure in both the National Heritage listing of the area and submission of the World Heritage nomination.
“This is a major achievement for both governments and I am very pleased that the Rudd Government is able to deliver on this important commitment,” Mr Garrett said.
“The Ningaloo Coast tells an extraordinary story of biogeography, climate change, the assembling of continents and the opening of oceans, biological richness and environmental conservation.
“The world renowned Ningaloo Reef stretches hundreds of kilometres along the arid coastline. The present day reef mirrors much earlier reefs that are preserved in the ancient limestone terraces of Cape Range, recording evidence of changing sea levels over time.
“The World Heritage nomination reflects that Ningaloo is internationally significant for its role in the protection of an exceptional number of marine and terrestrial species.
“From its spectacular coral reefs to the beautiful sponge gardens of the continental slope, the richness of the area’s biodiversity is awesome in the true sense of the word.”
The Minister said the extraordinary Ningaloo area is home to some of Australia’s most iconic marine megafauna: manta rays, dugongs, marine turtles, whales and dolphins, rays and sharks, along with the magnificent whale shark, the world’s largest fish, which aggregates in higher numbers than anywhere else on Earth.
The nomination document is being sent to the World Heritage Centre in Paris, where it will be assessed over the next 18 months.
Australia currently has 17 World Heritage properties, including the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House and Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park. In addition to the Ningaloo Coast nomination, the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage nomination of 11 sites around the country, is also under consideration by the World Heritage Centre, with a decision expected later in the year.
Ningaloo becomes the 89th place to be included in the National Heritage List.
Images of the Ningaloo Coast are available at www.heritage.gov.au/ningaloo
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2010/mr20100106a.html
Top Ten Dives Sites in Australia
Great
Barrier Reef
In a nutshell: Needs no introduction
Tell me more: Though the site is protected on the World Heritage list, the Great
Barrier Reef (GBR) is still under threat, so you should seize upon any
chance you get to go and explore. The reef, which comprises a staggering
2,000km of corals and lagoons, is accessible from a number of places along Queensland’s
coast – Cairns being the most popular – and there are scores of dive providers to
choose from. And the reef isn’t the only drawcard – there are also 1,600
shipwrecks off the coast just waiting to be checked out.
Where: Main base camps include Cairns,
Townsville and Port Douglas, though there are plenty of smaller places to visit
the reef from.
The Whitsundays
In a nutshell: Heavenly islands on the Great Barrier Reef
Tell me more: The Whitsundays include over 70 islands, so there’s heaps of options to choose from. It’s a
great spot or learners, with introductory dives and snorkelling readily
available and there’s also plenty of scope for more experienced dive enthusiasts.
Where: The Whitsundays are located off the Queensland coast
from Airlie Beach.
Ningaloo Reef
In a nutshell: Better than the GBR?
Tell me more: This area is protected by the government, preserving its
ecosystem of over 500 species of fish, whales, whale sharks, manta rays,
turtles and dugongs. There’s also a spectacular reef only 100 metres offshore
with far less people than the GBR. A bloody
treasure, mate.
Where: The closest main town is Exmouth, Western Australia.
Some of the best areas of the marine park for diving are Bundegi Beach and
Turquoise Bay.
Sydney’s Sharks
In a nutshell: Get up close to a shark, without getting your head bitten
off .
Tell me more: Sydney boasts two main opportunities for diving with
sharks: Magic Point at Maroubra, and Oceanworld Manly. ProDive Sydney offer dives at Magic Point, where you can also see a variety of other unique
sea animals. The location includes caves and coral reefs. For a more controlled
environment, you can enter the fish tank at Oceanworld. Both places cater for
beginners and diving pros alike and grey nurse sharks may be big but they’re
some of the most docile fish out there.
Where: Manly is one of the most popular tourist hubs on Sydney’s
northern beaches, while Maroubra is one of the eastern beach suburbs, south of
Bondi.
Great Whites
In a nutshell: If grey nurse sharks
are a bit tame for your liking, check dis!
Tell me more: Two companies run cage diving expeditions off Port
Lincoln, South
Australia, to locations home to not only great white sharks, but also sea
lions and fur seals. They plonk you in a cage, then plonk the cage in amongst
some of the most ferocious predators on earth, while you try very hard not to
wet yourself (not that anyone’ll notice).
Where: Port Lincoln is way down south on the Eyre Peninsula, 280km from Adelaide.
The Yongala
In a nutshell: Arguably the country’s greatest wreck dive.
Tell me more: The SS Yongala sunk in a cyclone in 1911, taking down all
of its 122 passengers and crew. The wreck was discovered during World War II,
and the exact circumstances of its demise remain a mystery. The Yongala is in
good shape on the sea floor, and hosts a plethora of sea animals.
Where: The wreck lies off Cape Bowling Green, near Townsville, Queensland.
Tours leave from either Townsville or Airlie Beach.
Byron Bay
In a nutshell: Where tropical meets temperate.
Tell me more: Julian Rocks Marine Reserve lies at the intersection of
southerly and northerly currents, creating the unique blend of warm and cold
water, which allows a variety of marine life to thrive. In summer months you’re
likely to come across leopard sharks. They’re very distinctive-looking and,
thankfully, aren’t too bothered by humans. You can also spot whales and
dolphins from certain spots in Byron.
Where: The reserve is three kilometres off the Byron coast, in
northern NSW.
Tasmania
In a nutshell: About as far south as you can dive.
Tell me more: It’s a little known fact that there are scores of places
to dive in Tassie.
You can navigate submerged caves, giant kelp forests and shipwrecks dating back
to the 17th century, all while getting acquainted with dolphins, seahorses, sea
dragons and countless other cuddly creatures. Top spots include, Bicheno, Rock
Cape, King, Maria and Flinders Islands and EagleHawk Neck. You can even dive
close to Hobart.
Where: Head south, and keep going. If you reach a massive ice block,
you’ve gone too far.
Cape Naturaliste
In a nutshell: A submerged warship, one-of-a-kind seagrass meadow, and
over 300 species of marine life.
Tell me more: The Busselton Jetty has provided artificial protection to
some of Australia’s most colourful fish and coral, making for an eye-catching
dive experience. Nearby, you can explore the HMAS Swan, which was lowered to
the seabed after her retirement specifically for the enjoyment of divers like
you.
Where: Cape Naturaliste is located near the town of Dunsborough, south
of Perth, WA.
Lord Howe Island
In a nutshell: Dive the world’s southernmost coral reef
Tell me more: Like Byron Bay, Lord
Howe Island offers both tropical and temperate waters. The island hosts so much
marine diversity, and incomparable beauty, that it has been World Heritage
listed. It’s renowned for its pristine, pollution-free environment, providing
some of the most pure diving waters in the world.
Where: Lord Howe is two hours by air from Sydney and Brisbane. It’s
admittedly more expensive to get to than some of the other options, but it may
well be worth it.
