Wild Ningaloo

Wild Ningaloo – Reef, Range & Refuge Ningaloo is remote, over 1100 kilometres north of Western Australia's capital city, Perth. To the east is the arid and ancient landscape of the Pilbara. Fractured rock, spinifex grass and dry watercourses predominate. The narrow spine of Cape Range frames the western boundary of Exmouth Gulf and gives way to the fringing coral reef known as Ningaloo on the west. Reef, range and refuge. Three disparate ecosystems nestle together in a unique marine and desert environment. The fringing coral reef snakes its way along the western shoreline of the Cape Range. It is one of the longest near-shore fringing reefs in the world. Cape Range is a centre spine of water eroded limestone ridges and the refuge is Exmouth Gulf, a shallow, sheltered north facing bay and crucial resting grounds for humpback whales and their new season calves on their southern migration. The Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area was inscribed in 2011 for its attributes of 'incredible natural beauty' and 'important and significant habitats for conservation of biological diversity.' It covers 604,500 hectares and 300 km of coastline. Due to pressures at the time, Exmouth Gulf was excluded except for a token sliver that creeps around North West Cape and takes in Bundegi Reef. Sadly, the gulf, a rich and diverse habitat in its own right was left unprotected. Our first contact with Ningaloo was in 1977. Pam and I were travelling Australia in our VW Kombi camper when we bumped down a dusty track and rolled onto the sand at Coral Bay. We have been back to Ningaloo many times since and mainly to document the humpback whale migration. This book covers the humpbacks but also includes birds, whale sharks, turtles and other marine mammals. We hope you enjoy it. Pam and Wayne’s books have been downloaded in 41 countries.