Ningaloo

Along the remote West Coast of Australia you can find Ningaloo, the largest fringing reef in the world. This delicate ecosystem is an almost unspoilt paradise that provides safe haven to green sea turtles, humpback whales and manta rays.

Explore Ningaloo in the video below.

Educational video about the largest fringing reef in the world, Ningaloo in Western Australia.

Fossilised coral, Osprey Bay, Ningaloo

You might already know that Australia has the largest coral reef in the world, but did you also know that it has the largest fringing reef?

Ningaloo Reef is located on the west coast of Australia. Its remote location helps to protect the reef from the destructive effects of high population and urban development. Sadly, pollution from the oil and gas industry, such as the dumping of toxic waste, threatens to harm this delicate ecosystem.

Two main ocean currents meet at Ningaloo. A warm current travelling south from the equator and a cold current moving north from the Antarctic. These currents carry along an abundance of nutrients that support the biodiverse marine life at this World Heritage Site.

Ocean visitors include threatened and endangered species.

Filter feeders like whale sharks and manta rays feed on coral spawn and zooplankton.

Humpback whales visit on their journey north to breed and birth.

Green Sea Turtle, Osprey Bay, Ningaloo

The shores along the Ningaloo coast provide mostly undisturbed breeding and nesting grounds for three of the world’s seven ocean turtle species. The green turtle, the hawksbill turtle and the endangered loggerhead turtle.

Unlike The Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo is close to the shore. It stretches so far along the coastline of Western Australia that it is the largest fringing reef in the world.

Ningaloo’s outer reef provides protection from the powerful swells of the deep East Indian Ocean. This creates a protected shallow water ecosystem teeming with life. Beneath the surface are hundreds of marine species to discover.

You can help to protect Ningaloo:

·       Learn about its significance.

·       Share its importance with others.

·       And visit with care and respect.