Ningaloo Reef
 
| |
Location of the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia |
The Ningaloo Reef ( German Ningaloo Reef ) is a 250 km long coral reef on the west coast of Australia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site . It stretches along the “Coral Coast” and is - unlike the famous Great Barrier Reef , for example - unusually close to the coast. The Ningaloo Reef is barely 100 m away from the mainland on many beaches, making it a popular water sports area not only for divers, but also for swimmers and snorkelers.
The entire reef is part of the "Ningaloo Marine Park" and home to around 220 species of coral . Every March, there is the synchronous mass spawning - spawning instead of the entire coral -. Of course, the reef also offers protection to a large number of animals. In addition to numerous tropical fish (there are said to be over 500 species in the nature park), turtles , stingrays , manta rays , dugongs and many types of sharks - including different types of reef sharks , but also tiger sharks and hammerhead sharks - are among the most spectacular reef inhabitants.
Humpback whales roam the coast between June and November, and whale sharks are regularly sighted in the waters of Ningaloo Reef from May to July . The touristy Coral Bay and the quieter and more rustic Exmouth are the main stops for visitors to the reef. At both locations there are a variety of offers to take trips with the glass-bottom boat , rent diving or snorkeling equipment, take diving courses or other opportunities for visitors to explore parts of the reef. In addition to the reef itself, the marine station - the well-known "Navy Pier" at the tip of the peninsula - offers divers an underwater world that is well worth seeing, although access is regulated.
At the northern end of Ningaloo Reef is Shoeman's Sting , a 60 m high rock needle that just barely reaches the water level.
photos
Manta rays in the Ningaloo Reef
Whale shark in the Ningaloo Reef
Web links
Coordinates: 21 ° 56 ′ 3 ″ S , 113 ° 56 ′ 1 ″ E
Heritage: Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (2004) | Sydney Opera House (2007) | Australian Prison Camps (2010) | Budj Bim cultural landscape (2019)
Natural Heritage: Great Barrier Reef (1981) | Lord Howe Archipelago (1982) | Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (1986) | Wet Tropics in Queensland (1988) | Shark Bay (1991) | Fraser Island (1992) | Riversleigh and Naracoorte Fossil Sites (1994) | Heard and McDonald Islands (1997) | Macquarie Island (1997) | Greater Blue Mountains Area (2000) | Purnululu National Park (2003) | Ningaloo Coast (2011)
Cultural / Natural Heritage: Kakadu National Park (1981) | Willandra Lake Region (1981) | Tasmanian Wilderness (1982) | Uluṟu Kata Tjuṯa National Park (1987)