Western Australia World Heritage Site
The Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia, which includes Ningaloo Reef and an extensive karst system on land, is the latest Australian site to be inscribed a World Heritage site.
It was inscribed by the United Nations World Heritage Committee in June 2011, and joins Western Australia World Heritage sites Purnululu National Park and Shark Bay .
The Ningaloo Coast land and sea property is 604,500 hectares in area and features one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world.
It is an area noted for the whale sharks, the world's largest fish, which return to reefs year after year during the whale migration season.
The waters of the Ningaloo Coast are also home to a large variety of sea creatures, including large numbers of sea turtles.
Subterranean water areas on the coastal land include caves, conduits and groundwater streams supporting a large variety of rare species.
Areas under pastoral lease are excluded from the World Heritage site.
It was inscribed by the United Nations World Heritage Committee in June 2011, and joins Western Australia World Heritage sites Purnululu National Park and Shark Bay .
The Ningaloo Coast land and sea property is 604,500 hectares in area and features one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world.
It is an area noted for the whale sharks, the world's largest fish, which return to reefs year after year during the whale migration season.
The waters of the Ningaloo Coast are also home to a large variety of sea creatures, including large numbers of sea turtles.
Subterranean water areas on the coastal land include caves, conduits and groundwater streams supporting a large variety of rare species.
Areas under pastoral lease are excluded from the World Heritage site.
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