Australia
Ningaloo Coast
The Ningaloo Coast holds a fringing coral reef known for its seasonal feeding concentrations of the whale shark.
Due to seasonal nutrient upwelling, a group of 300-500 whale sharks gather here yearly. The marine area also is rich in coral, reef fish, mollusc, turtle and crustacean species. Adjacent to Ningaloo Reef, the limestone karst landscape of Cape Range has a remarkable density of underground caves and other karst features, providing a habitat for birds and reptiles.
Community Perspective: This is a hard-to-reach site, but it still is popular with the diving crowd. Zoë has described such a scuba diving trip. The best chance to see a whale shark is from mid-March to the end of July.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Ningaloo Coast (ID: 1369)
- Country
- Australia
- Status
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Inscribed 2011
Site history
History of Ningaloo Coast
- 2011: Inscribed
- Inscribed
- WHS Type
- Natural
- Criteria
- vii
- x
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- parksaustralia.gov.au — Ningaloo Marine Park
- australia.com — Ningaloo
News Article
- March 24, 2025 theguardian.com — Ningaloo and Great Barrier Reef hit by ‘profoundly distressing’ simultaneous coral bleaching events
- June 30, 2020 theislanderonline.com.au — Calls to block drilling near WA's Ningaloo
- April 21, 2020 sciencedaily.com — New species discovered during exploration of abyssal deep sea canyons off Ningaloo
- March 13, 2018 abc.net.au — Giant tooth of ancient 15-metre shark stolen from secret location at Ningaloo Coast
- Jan. 28, 2015 theguardian.com — Company ordered to pay $90,000 for fishing in Ningaloo reef reserve
- Oct. 24, 2014 abc.net.au — Orcas eating baby whales helping Ningaloo reef
- May 22, 2013 chinadaily.com.cn — Ships rerouted to protect Ningaloo Reef
- July 8, 2011 bloomberg.com — Royal Dutch Shell got permission to drill an exploration well near the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef
- Jan. 6, 2010 news.smh.com.au — Ningaloo Reef for a World Heritage listing.
- Oct. 21, 2009 watoday.com.au — set for World Heritage nomination
Community Information
- Community Category
- Natural landscape: Marine and Coastal
- Archaeological site: Ancient Rome
- Urban landscape: Urban continuity
Travel Information
Recent Connections
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Perfect Inscriptions
2011 -
Plant WHS not in a CPD
"Above ground, the diversity of reptile… -
Estuary
"Intertidal systems such as rocky shore…
Connections of Ningaloo Coast
- Geography
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Cape
North West CapeSee en.wikipedia.org
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Marine sites
total nominated area of 708,350 hectares contains interconnected marine (71%) and terrestrial (29%) values and features (AB ev) -
Estuary
"Intertidal systems such as rocky shores, sandy beaches, estuaries, and mangroves are also found within the property." (Official description) -
Indian Ocean
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- Ecology
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Mangroves
Intertidal systems such as ... mangroves are also found within the property. (AB ev) -
Anchialine Habitats
An unprepossessing exterior protects the secrets of Bundera Sinkhole; a closer look over its rocky edge reveals aquamarine waters and a wealth of anchialine life (Nom File) -
Dunes
dune fields, coastal dunes (UNEP-WCMC) -
Eucalypts
These landscapes support sparse eucalypt woodlands (UNEP-WCMC) -
Ratites
emu -
Sharks
Leopard Sharks, Tawny Nurse Sharks, Cat Sharks and Wobbegongs -
Coral
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Turtles and tortoises
a wealth of sea turtles -
Whales
humpback whales -
Siraneans
"The endangered dugong (Dugong dugon) is found in the waters of the Ningaloo Coast. An unusually large community of about 1,000 dugongs feeds in the waters of the inshore lagoon, grazing the seagrass beds of Norwegian Bay and the lagoon north of Bruboodjoo Point." (Nom File) Shark Bay "Shark bay is renowned for its marine fauna, with 10,150 dugong Dugong dugon (V)" (AB) Komodo NP "Notable marine mammals include ...... Dugong dugon (V)." (AB) -
Fish
Crit vii: The property supports rare and large aggregations of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) -
Molluscs
Crit x "roughly 650 mollusc species,"
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- Damaged
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Threatened by Oil and Gas Exploration
"There are several offshore oil and gas extraction operations near the site and a number of pending on- and offshore project proposals, which potentially pose a significant impact of the World Heritage values. Potential impacts include effects on migratory species, connectivity and ecological linkages within and adjacent the site, cumulative impacts including effects on migratory species from seismic testing, drilling, and operations. Offshore petroleum incidents, such as accidental discharge of oil or other pollutants pose a significant and most likely irreversible threat to the marine life and ecosystems." (IUCN Outlook 2020) -
Thefts since inscription
Giant tooth of ancient 15-metre shark stolen (March 2018)See www.abc.net.au
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- World Heritage Process
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Perfect Inscriptions
2011
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- Constructions
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Lighthouses
Vlamingh Head near the very top of Cape range NP
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- WHS on Other Lists
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Plant WHS not in a CPD
"Above ground, the diversity of reptiles and vascular plants in the drylands is likewise noteworthy." (OUV)
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- Timeline
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Late Pleistocene
Today, Ningaloo Reef grows on a substrate of fossil reefs that formed during the last glacial stage, which peaked approximately 20,000 years ago (nom file)
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News
- theguardian.com 03/24/2025
- Ningaloo and Great Barrier Reef hi…
- theislanderonline.com.au 06/30/2020
- Calls to block drilling near WA's …
- sciencedaily.com 04/21/2020
- New species discovered during expl…
Recent Visitors
Visitors of Ningaloo Coast
- Alexander Parsons
- alicemears
- Bram de Bruin
- ChrisN
- Colossus
- Erfe91
- Erik Jelinek
- Femke Roos
- fkarpfinger
- Gary Arndt
- Hdwilsonau
- Ivan
- Jarrod_Byham
- Joel on the Road
- john booth
- Jonoprout
- Kjsisney
- Kurt Lauer
- Lee Kai Loong
- Leontine Helleman
- Liamps91
- Lucas Del Puppo
- Michiel Dekker
- Mihai Dascalu
- Mirjam L.
- Nicole Lampos
- PabloNorte
- Pang Liang Fong
- Pascal Cauliez
- Paul Schofield
- Peter Day
- Reiseblitz
- Reisedachs
- Rickard Alfredsson
- Roman Bruehwiler
- RyanJ
- Schnitzel
- Sergio Arjona
- Shandos Cleaver
- SHIHE HUANG
- Thomas Buechler
- tony0001
- Tschibi
- Twobaconsandaboston
- Vanessa Buechler
- Wieland
- Wo_ko
- Zoë Sheng
Community Reviews
Show full reviews
Ningaloo Coast is a marvel of nature but it's a hard to visit. You COULD just drive the National Route 1 and step into the land areas, off-roading isn't allowed but I'm sure it stretches far enough for road access somewhere. As you can see in my picture you won't really see much. It's pretty much a deserted place with little vegetation although it could be slightly more bushy as it goes further in. The picture shows Cape Range National Park by the way. You can also fly into Learmonth Airport from Perth and you don't have to go far but if you want to visit Shark Bay it's still quite a drive back and forth and I remember checking rental cars - none offered enough mileage to make it worth it and besides: the drive up the Highway 1 is quite nice and one should think about going further north as well.
I have visited the Ningaloo Coast twice and the first one was not very good that I didn't even want to count it.
The first visit was when I was quite new to scuba diving and (I wanna say "like me" but not really) most tourists were college partiers staying at the biggest hostel in Coral Bay that comes with a bar and stays open until late night. In the morning they were quiet but they also weren't the best divers which brought another annoyance. The scuba trips are mainly catered for unprofessional divers that …
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Nigaloo has some of the best scuba diving in the world, along with the nearby Navy pier. I actually prefer it to the Great Barrier Reef, as you don't need long boat rides, and can dive right off shore if you want. Its really common to take road trips up the coast from Perth with a camper van, and you can camp anywhere on great beaches near the road. Besides diving, they also offer whale shark tours where a small plane flies over head searching for the sharks so that you don't have to search all day by boat. Awesome place.
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This site is located in the remote north-west corner of Western Australia where it rarely rains, and the scrub hardly grows more than knee high, so provides no natural shade from the rays of the sun. In April,when it was a balmy 39degC and the flies were in abundance, I drove from Exmouth along the bitumen to its end at Yardie Creek. From here southwards 4WD vehicles are mandatory. The drive was 170 kms each way, and there are numerous beaches where stops can be made to inspect the reef and its occupants.
For variety along the way there is the Milyering Information Centre providing a wealth of information about the denizens of the deep. Also there is the Vlamingh Head lighthouse, sited on the highest promontory, and overlooking the graves of the many ships that fell afoul of the reef before the lighthouse was constructed.
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I visited Ningaloo reef in 2005. It was beautiful and one of a kind. It should make the list just for the "Ayers rock" brain coral. But its also in the path of migratory animals like dolphins, manta rays, humpback whales, and dugongs. Then there are the whale sharks that pass through. Then there is the bush surrounding the area that lends its own beauty with wildflowers, termite mounds, and the occasional gorge.
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