Marine Parks WA

Jurien Bay Marine Park has caves, grottos and overhangs covered in colourful sponges, sea squirts, shellfish, corals and multitudes of fish. Meadows of seagrass grow in the shallow lagoons inside the reef. Jurien Bay Marine Park and a few nearby islands form the only major breeding area for Australian sea lions along the western coast of Australia.

As well as major sea lion and seabird breeding areas, the marine park has a special mix of temperate and tropical plants and animals. The marine creatures found in the area can survive there because of the tropical warm water brought south by the Leeuwin Current. Jurien’s offshore areas are like a cooler water version of Ningaloo Reef. Lots of colourful corals grow in the area (although they don’t form reefs) and the limestone reefs are a diver’s delight. Extensive seagrass meadows provide shelter and nursery habitat for many fish and other marine creatures such as western rock lobsters.

Jurien Bay Marine Park is popular with scuba divers, snorkellers, swimmers, fishers, and has some great spots for windsurfers and surfers.

The marine park surrounds many magnificent and ecologically important islands. The Australian sea lion, the world’s rarest species of sea lion, breeds on Buller and North Fisherman islands and uses other islands in the Jurien Bay region as ‘haul out’ sites. Charters from Jurien and Green Head are available to take people out to see the large colonies of these attractive animals. People can usually also see dolphins year round and whales on both their northern and southern migrations. Scuba diving charters are also available from Jurien Bay.