Ningaloo Marine Park protects the waters along Ningaloo Reef off the coast of Western Australia, one of the longest fringing coral reefs in the world and among the few reefs of its scale located close to a continental landmass. Established in 1987 and expanded over subsequent decades, the marine park is zoned to allow regulated fishing and tourism alongside sanctuary zones of strict protection, and it is best known for the annual aggregation of whale sharks that gather along the reef to feed. Ningaloo Reef and its marine park were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, and the park is managed by the Western Australian government's park and wildlife service.
Facts
Designation Category Established Year Area (sq km) Governing Body IUCN Category Classification
Governance TypeGovernance by Government 1 International DesignationUNESCO World Heritage Site 1 Governing Body
Governing Body (category)Director of National Parks (Parks Australia) 1 FAQs
How many whale sharks gather at Ningaloo each year and why do they come?
An estimated 300 to 500 whale sharks gather each year as mass coral spawning and seasonal productivity peaks supply food.
UNESCO's description of the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage area estimates that 300 to 500 whale sharks aggregate there annually. Their arrival coincides with mass coral spawning events and with seasonal local increases in productivity along the reef, which supply the food that draws the sharks to this stretch of Western Australia's coast.
Sources
1. Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth waters)
Infobox, area
2,435 km2 (940 sq mi)
Infobox, established
20 May 1987
Infobox, iucn_category
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Infobox, operator
Operator: Parks Australia
Introduction
Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth waters)
Infobox: operator
Parks Australia
Governing body field (existing citation)
Parks Australia
entity-description, realm marine
Ningaloo Marine Park protects the waters along Ningaloo Reef off the coast of Western Australia, one of the longest fringing coral reefs in the world and among the few reefs of its scale located close to a continental landmass.
entity-description, international-designation unesco-world-heritage-site
Ningaloo Reef and its marine park were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, and the park is managed by the Western Australian government's park and wildlife service.
View the SourceWikidata: Ningaloo Marine Park
Wikidata Q1541665, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Wikidata: Australia
On Continent: Australia, Wikidata item for Australia, property P30 (continent)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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