Saunders Islands National Park

Saunders Islands National Park
Hawksbill sea turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata )
Coordinates: 11 ° 42 ′ 4.5 ″  S , 143 ° 10 ′ 49.8 ″  E
Location:	Queensland , Australia
Specialty:	Coral islands
Next city:	140 km from Cape York
Surface:	61.33 hectares
Founding:	1989

The Saunders Islands National Park (English Saunders Islands National Park ) is a 61.3 hectare national park in Queensland , Australia . It consists of 6 coral islands, as well as some sandbanks, and is part of the Great Barrier Reef , a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

location

The national park is located 630 kilometers north of Cairns and 140 kilometers south of Cape York on the east coast of the Cape York Peninsula in the Coral Sea . The islands are located between 15 and 25 kilometers from the coast along Shelburne Bay .

The Denham Group and Sir Charles Hardy Group national parks are in the immediate vicinity in the Coral Sea, and the Jardine River on the mainland .

National nature

The national park consists of six coral islands and some bare sandbars. The smallest are only a few hundred meters long, the largest has a diameter of almost 2 kilometers.

Flora and fauna

The vegetation varies from island to island, there are grass areas, small patches of low-growth forest, mangroves and scrub.

Almost untouched by humans, the islands offer numerous animal species both habitat and breeding opportunities, including the endangered soot oystercatcher ( Haematopus fuliginosus ), the little tern ( Sternula albifrons ) and the reef triel ( Esacus giganteus ). The hawksbill sea turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) lays its eggs on the beaches of the islands.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Australian Government - CAPAD 2010 ( MS Excel ; 166 kB), DSEWPaC , accessed on October 7, 2012 (English)
2. ↑ Australian Government - CAPAD 1997 ( MS Excel ; 91 kB), DSEWPaC , accessed on October 7, 2012 (English)
3. ↑ Official Park Website - Species List , Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service , accessed October 7, 2012