Goose Island Conservation Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goose Island Conservation ParkSouth Australia |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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 Goose Island Conservation Park
Location in South Australia
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| Nearest town or city | Port Victoria |
| Established | 27 April 1972 |
| Area | 35 ha (86 acres) |
| Visitation | ‘a few hundred a year’ (in 2009) |
| Managing authorities | Department for Environment and Water |
| See also | Protected areas of South Australia |
The Goose Island Conservation Park is a special protected area in South Australia. It includes Goose Island and several other small islands. These islands are located near Wardang Island in a large bay called Spencer Gulf.
You can find these islands about 5 to 12 kilometers (3 to 7 miles) west and northwest of Port Victoria. The park was created to protect important wildlife.
What is Goose Island Conservation Park?
This conservation park was officially set up on April 27, 1972. Before that, in 1966, Goose Island and White Rock Island were already named "fauna reserves." This meant they were special places for animals.
The main goal of the park is to protect a safe home for seabirds and the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea). These animals use the islands for breeding and as a safe place to rest.
The park is made up of several islands:
- Goose Island
- Little Goose Island
- Seal Rocks
- White Rocks (these are all north of Wardang Island)
- Beatrice Rock
- Island Point
- Rocky Island (these are east of Wardang Island)
- Boat Rock
- Bikini Islets (these are on the west side of Wardang Island)
Why is it Protected?
The Goose Island Conservation Park is recognized internationally as an IUCN Category III protected area. This means it's important for protecting natural features.
In 1980, the park was also listed on something called the "Register of the National Estate." This was a list of places in Australia that were important for their natural or cultural value. That list doesn't exist anymore, but it shows how special the park was considered.
Special Birds and Animals
The Goose Island Conservation Park is a very important place for birds. BirdLife International, a group that studies birds, has named it an Important Bird Area.
This is because the park is home to a large number of black-faced cormorants. More than 1% of all the black-faced cormorants in the world live and breed here! Up to 750 pairs of these birds have been seen nesting on the islands.
Fairy terns also visit the park often and have been recorded breeding there. This makes the park a vital spot for these small seabirds too.
