Ningaloo Coast Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
coral reef in Western Australia
About Ningaloo Coast
Much of what you stand upon along the Gascoyne Coast was once coral reef, formed 3 to 5 million years ago in a shallow tropical sea by the accretion of billions of polyps and shellfish. Then it uplifted, forming the Cape Range of limestone hills, but reef formation continued offshore, and does to this day. It has to, because there are natural cycles of destruction followed by regeneration. Corals need a "goldilocks" zone: not too deep or shallow, in water not too hot or cold, and not too saline or fresh. The present Ningaloo reef is about 8000 years old, replacing older structures as sea levels rose, and these "fossil" reefs can still be traced. Ningaloo in the Aboriginal Wajarri language denotes a cape or promontory. It's a barrier reef, a narrow strip 260 km long, with very few "cuts" or
Ningaloo Coast Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 6 sections including: