Ngari Capes Marine Park facts for kids
The Ngari Capes Marine Park is a special ocean area off the coast of Western Australia. It's like a giant underwater park, protecting marine life and their homes. This amazing park is about 250 kilometers (about 155 miles) south of Perth.
The park covers a huge area of 123,790 hectares (about 305,900 acres) of ocean. It was officially created on 12 June 2012. The western and southern edges of the park meet the South-west Corner Marine Park. This larger park is in the deeper waters managed by the Australian Commonwealth government.
Quick facts for kids Ngari Capes Marine ParkWestern Australia |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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Nearest town or city | Busselton |
Established | 12 June 2012 |
Area | 1,237.9 km2 (478.0 sq mi) |
Managing authorities |
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Website | Ngari Capes Marine Park |
See also | List of protected areas of Western Australia |
What Can You Do There?
The Ngari Capes Marine Park is a great place for many activities. It has areas set aside for different uses. You can find zones for surfing, swimming, and other fun shore-based activities.
One interesting spot in the park is the dive wreck of HMAS Swan. This is a sunken ship that was purposely placed in the water for divers to explore. It's located between Dunsborough and Cape Naturaliste.
Special Zones in the Park
To protect the ocean environment, the park has different types of zones:
- Sanctuary Zones: These are like "no-take" zones. This means you cannot fish or remove anything from these areas. They are very important for protecting marine life.
- Special Purpose Zones (SPZ): These zones are set aside for specific activities, like surfing.
- Recreation Zones: These areas allow for more general activities like swimming and some types of fishing.
The largest sanctuary zones in the park include East Geographe, Eagle Bay, Cape Naturaliste, Injidup, Cape Freycinet, Cape Leeuwin, and East Flinders Bay.
Named Zones in the Park
Here are some of the special zones you can find in the park, listed from north to south:
- East Geographe Bay Sanctuary Zone
- Busselton Jetty Sanctuary Zone
- Central Geographe Bay Sanctuary Zone
- Eagle Bay Sanctuary and Special Purpose Zones
- Cape Naturaliste Sanctuary Zone
- Windmills SPZ (Special Purpose Zone for surfing)
- Three Bears SPZ
- Yallingup SPZ and Sanctuary Zones
- Wyadup Sanctuary Zone (also known as Wyadup Rocks, Wyadup Beach, and Wyadup Bay)
- Injidup Sanctuary Zone (near Cape Clairault)
- Moses Rock SPZ
- Goannas SPZ
- Moses Beach SPZ
- Gallows/Guillotine SPZ
- Cowaramup Bay Recreation Zone
- Lefthanders SPZ
- Kilcarnup Sanctuary Zone
- Margaret River SPZ
- Redgate SPZ
- Cape Freycinet Sanctuary Zone
- Hamelin Bay Recreation and Sanctuary Zones
- Cosy Corner SPZ and Sanctuary Zones
- Cape Leeuwin Sanctuary Zone
- Flinders Island Sanctuary Zone
- East Flinders Bay Sanctuary Zone