Bales Beach Aquatic Reserve facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bales Beach Aquatic Reserve South Australia
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Bales Beach Aquatic Reserve Location in South Australia
Nearest town or city	Vivonne Bay.
Established	after 1971
Abolished	20 October 2016
Area	7.3 km2 (2.8 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA)
Footnotes	Coordinates Nearest town
See also	Protected areas of South Australia

Bales Beach Aquatic Reserve was a marine protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in waters off the south coast of Kangaroo Island immediately adjoining and including the intertidal zone within the locality of Seal Bay whose full extent is occupied by the Seal Bay Conservation Park.

It was declared after 1971 for the purpose of ‘the protection of a major breeding colony of the Australian sea lion’. The collection or the removal of any marine organism was prohibited within the reserve. The aquatic reserve which immediately adjoined the Seal Bay Aquatic Reserve extents eastward for a distance of about 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) Bay and also extends seaward a distance of about 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi). It has an area of 7.3 square kilometres (2.8 square miles). While it was managed in conjunction with the Seal Bay Aquatic Reserve, it was gazetted as a separate aquatic reserve. On 20 October 2016, it was abolished.

Since 2012, it was located within the boundaries of a “habitat protection zone” within the Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park.

The aquatic reserve was classified as an IUCN Category II protected area.