Morris Island (Queensland) facts for kids
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Northern Australia |
| Coordinates | 13°29′38″S 143°43′23″E / 13.494°S 143.723°E |
| Area | 0.02 km2 (0.0077 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| State | Queensland |
Did you know there are actually two different islands named Morris Island? They are both in Northern Australia, but they are about 200 kilometers apart. Let's learn more about these interesting islands!
Contents
Discovering Morris Island
When people talk about Morris Island, they usually mean the one in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This is the more well-known of the two.
Morris Island South
This island is officially called Morris Island-South. It's a special part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It's also the very last island in a group called the Cole Islands. You can find it about 100 kilometers southeast of Cape Melville in Queensland.
Location and Size
Morris Island-South is a small island. It's only about 2 hectares in size. To give you an idea, that's like two soccer fields put together! It's also located about 15 kilometers away from the main coast.
Home to Wildlife
Even though it's small, Morris Island-South is a busy place for nature. It's a "vegetated sand cay," which means it's a sandy island covered in plants. You'll find lots of coconut palms and sisal plants growing there. These plants provide a safe home for many different animals.
The island is a popular spot for birds to rest. It's also a very important nesting ground for two types of sea turtles:
These turtles come to the island to lay their eggs, which is a super important part of their life cycle.
Visiting the Island
Because of its beautiful nature and location in the Great Barrier Reef, Morris Island-South is visited by many tour groups. People come to explore its natural beauty and see the amazing wildlife.
Morris Island North
The other Morris Island is called Morris Island-North. It's located about 200 kilometers northwest of Morris Island-South. You can find it east of a town called Coen, and it's part of the Claremont Isles. It's less known than its southern counterpart, but still a part of Australia's amazing island landscape.
