Ningaloo Reef is an ideal place to see marine life up close.
The unique and spectacular region of Ningaloo Coast has been nominated for World Heritage status due to its outstanding natural beauty and geological and biological importance.
The Ningaloo Coast is an area of Western Australia that includes Coral Bay and Exmouth. It’s reef stretches for 260km on the north-west cape and is largely untouched. It was formed from ancient marine fossils that are thought to be over 26 million years old.
Currently just 224,000 hectares of this captivating coast is protected, but if the United Nations agrees to World Heritage listing then a further 476,000 could also get protected status, meaning that the abundance of wildlife that dwells within this magnificent region would be allowed to thrive untouched for centuries.
That wildlife includes the world’s biggest fish – the whale shark, as well as more than 500 species of tropical fish, 220 varieties of coral, marine turtles, humpbacks, manta rays, dugongs and more. Such is the diversity of life that exists upon the coast that it’s been named a biodiversity hotspot and an “evolutionary laboratory”.
Giving this area of Western Australia a World Heritage listing would put it on a par with the Grand Canyon in America, the pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge – all of which already have World Heritage listings.
The listing would also give the area a much needed tourism boost. Currently the Ningaloo Reef and nearby Cape Range National Park attract more than 100,000 visitors each year which contribute approximately $127 million into the local economy. It’s a popular spot for divers as visitors to the area can get up close to the diverse marine life that is contained within the reef. This is because the reef is a fringing reef, which means that it’s closer to the shore and contained within shallower waters, making it easier for divers and snorkelers to explore the delicate reef structure.
The final decision on the fate of Ningaloo Reef will be made during the next 18 months.
If you want to know more about this spectacular part of Western Australia then visit the official Western Australia tourist site that also contains information about flight and holiday deals to this magnificent part of the world.
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