Ocean Eco Adventures whale shark diving experience at Ningaloo Reef. Photo credit: Ollie Clarke Photography.
As the siren call of the sea draws huge numbers of tourists to Western Australia’s clear waters, it is important to be mindful of both our literal and carbon footprints.
Managing your environmental impact and relaxing on your coastal getaway can, in fact, go hand in hand, with many in WA ensuring our beautiful seascapes are both protected and enjoyed through sustainable ecotourism.
In the north of the state, you can find the idyllic UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast, which is renowned for its largely untouched biodiversity.
“Ningaloo Reef is the largest fringing coral reef on Earth, with two currents – the Ningaloo Current and the Leeuwin Current – converging here,” Ocean Eco Adventures owner and operator James Small said. “These sustain the reef by bringing nutrients up from the depths.
“We’re fortunate to have a cooler water current bringing subtropical species, as well as a warm water current bringing tropical species and corals.
“It’s one of the only places in the world which regularly gets megafauna, like whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales, right off the coast.”
A Sustainable Tourism-accredited business, Ocean Eco Adventures has a range of tours to learn more about our aquatic neighbours.
“We’re focused on in-water interactions with the megafauna,” Mr Small said. “We take people out snorkelling on the reef and search for different animals to swim with depending on the season.”
Partnering with Birds Eye View, Ocean Eco Adventures also o ers microlight flights over the reef, enabling adventurers to see and appreciate the water’s flora and fauna from the air.
According to Mr Small, his team takes part in conservation efforts, including assisting in tagging, data collection and photo identification programs for research institutions like the CSIRO, ECOCEAN and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, among others.
“Having access to the animals means we can send photos to the right organisations, which get catalogued,” he said. “If the animal pops up somewhere else in the world or has been seen irregularly, they can establish different migration or aggregation patterns.”
In the neighbouring Shark Bay Marine Park, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) operates Monkey Mia Conservation Park, which famously provides visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal with the local bottlenose dolphins.
“The Monkey Mia Dolphin Experience of feeding wild dolphins has been operating since the 1940s and has one of the longest histories of dolphin interaction experiences in the world,” DBCA Gascoyne region district manager Therese Morris said.
“It inspires and educates visitors about the dolphins, marine conservation and World Heritage values in Shark Bay.”
The DCBA also monitors land and marine wildlife, including migratory shore birds, within the reserve, so people can appreciate the Shark Bay World Heritage Area on a deeper level.
The tropical rush of the Leeuwin Current continues to the South West region, where Naturaliste Charters marine biologist Jade Cantrall said the environment was truly one of a kind.
“The Leeuwin Current is great in shaping biodiversity patterns within the region, facilitating the migration of tropical species along the western coast of WA,” she said.
Educating visitors through whale watching tours is key to Naturaliste Charters’ conservation mission.
“Having qualified marine biologists, as well as knowledgeable deckhands on-board, also help to teach the public about the species we observe,” Ms Cantrall said.
Noise and proximity to aquatic life are additional factors Naturaliste Charters considers when conducting tours.
“We are always mindful the vessel makes noise for the animals under the surface, so taking not only legal but also personal precautions to be the least damaging in our interactions is vital,” Ms Cantrall said.
“You’re required to stay 100m away from whales and 50m away from dolphin species but sometimes, they choose to come close to you.
“In these cases, we knock the vessel out of gear, allow the interaction to play out and then put it back into gear when we’re sure the animals have safely moved away from the area.”
Beyond knowing the company you tour with is dedicated to marine conservation, Mr Small said the biggest takeaway for visitors was the opportunity to interact and form a connection with these animals, which you wouldn’t normally have.
“Those experiences make people more likely to think about the animals in their daily lives and make changes to their lifestyle in regard to pollution and their carbon footprint,” he said.
As it appeared in the 2024 July 14 edition of The Sunday Times.