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The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost and larger of two large inlets (the other being
Gulf St Vincent Gulf St Vincent, sometimes referred to as St Vincent Gulf, St Vincent's Gulf or Gulf of St Vincent, is the eastern of two large inlets of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, the other being the larger Sp ...
) on the southern coast of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, in the state of
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, facing the
Great Australian Bight The Great Australian Bight is a large oceanic bight (geography), bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern Coast, coastline of mainland Australia. There are two definitions for its extent—one by the Internation ...
. It spans from the
Cape Catastrophe Cape Catastrophe is a headland in the Australian state of South Australia located at the southeast tip of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula. It is one of the natural features named by the British navigator Matthew Flinders in memory of the e ...
and
Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Earlier called Eyre's Peninsula, it was named after e ...
in the west to Cape Spencer and
Yorke Peninsula The Yorke Peninsula, known as Guuranda by the original inhabitants, the Narungga people, is a peninsula located northwest and west of Adelaide in South Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. The peninsula ...
in the east. The largest towns on the gulf are
Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a city on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of South Australia. Known as Galinyala by the traditional owners, the Barngarla people, it is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, ...
,
Whyalla Whyalla is a city in South Australia. It was founded as Hummock's Hill, and was known by that name until 1916. It is the fourth most populous city in the Australian state of South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, and Gawler, and along ...
,
Port Pirie Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, north of the state capital, Adelaide. Port Pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of the Mid North region of South Australia. The city has an ex ...
, and
Port Augusta Port Augusta (''Goordnada'' in the revived indigenous Barngarla language) is a coastal city in South Australia about by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the ...
. Smaller towns on the gulf include Tumby Bay, Port Neill, Arno Bay, Cowell,
Port Germein Port Germein is a small sea-side town in the Australian state of South Australia located about north of the state capital of Adelaide and about north of the city of Port Pirie on the eastern side of South Australia's Spencer Gulf overlooking G ...
,
Port Broughton Port Broughton is a small South Australian town located at the northern extent of the Yorke Peninsula on the east coast of Spencer Gulf. It is situated about 170 km north-west of Adelaide, and 56 km south of Port Pirie. At the , the to ...
,
Wallaroo Wallaroo is a common name for several species of moderately large macropods, intermediate in size between the kangaroos and the wallabies, that are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. The word "wallaroo" is from the Dharug ''walaru'' wi ...
,
Port Hughes Port Hughes is a town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia located on northern Yorke Peninsula about north-west of the state capital of Adelaide city centre, Adelaide. It is considered part of the Moonta, South Australia, Mo ...
, Port Victoria,
Port Rickaby Port Rickaby is a town on the Spencer Gulf coast of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. Port Rickaby is in the Yorke Peninsula Council, the state electoral district of Narungga and federal Division of Grey. History In 1876 the port was establ ...
,
Point Turton Point Turton is a coastal town west of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the Yorke Peninsula Council. History The town was named by a marine surveyor, Captain John Hutchinson, as a commemoration of a double wedding of two daughters ...
, and Corny Point.


History

The first recorded exploration of the gulf was that of
Matthew Flinders Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer, navigator and cartographer who led the first littoral zone, inshore circumnavigate, circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then ...
in February 1802. Flinders navigated inland from the present location of
Port Augusta Port Augusta (''Goordnada'' in the revived indigenous Barngarla language) is a coastal city in South Australia about by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the ...
to within of the termination of the water body. The gulf was named ''Spencer's Gulph'' by Flinders on 20 March 1802, after George John Spencer, the 2nd Earl Spencer. The Baudin expedition visited the gulf after Flinders with
Nicholas Baudin Nicolas Thomas Baudin (; 17 February 175416 September 1803) was a French people, French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer, most notable for his explorations in Australia and the southern Pacific Ocean, Pacific. He carried a few ...
giving it the name ''Golfe Bonaparte'' and
Louis de Freycinet Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet (7 August 1779 – 18 August 1841) was a French Navy officer. He circumnavigated the Earth, and in 1811 published the first map to show a full outline of the coastline of Australia. Biography He was born at M ...
using the name ''Golfe de la Melomanie'' on the expedition's published charts. By the 1830s, the
natural harbour A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be moored. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...
of
Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a city on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of South Australia. Known as Galinyala by the traditional owners, the Barngarla people, it is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, ...
had become the site of an unofficial settlement, due in part to its convenience as a base for whaling vessels – which had long operated in the
Great Australian Bight The Great Australian Bight is a large oceanic bight (geography), bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern Coast, coastline of mainland Australia. There are two definitions for its extent—one by the Internation ...
. Prior to the selection of
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, some consideration was given to Port Lincoln as the potential site of a capital city.


Geography and topography

The Gulf is wide at its mouth (from Cape Catastrophe to Cape Spencer) and long (from its mouth to Port Augusta). The western shore of the gulf is the
Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Earlier called Eyre's Peninsula, it was named after e ...
, while the eastern side is the
Yorke Peninsula The Yorke Peninsula, known as Guuranda by the original inhabitants, the Narungga people, is a peninsula located northwest and west of Adelaide in South Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. The peninsula ...
, which separates it from the smaller
Gulf St Vincent Gulf St Vincent, sometimes referred to as St Vincent Gulf, St Vincent's Gulf or Gulf of St Vincent, is the eastern of two large inlets of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, the other being the larger Sp ...
. Its entrance was defined by
Matthew Flinders Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer, navigator and cartographer who led the first littoral zone, inshore circumnavigate, circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then ...
in 1802 as a line from
Cape Catastrophe Cape Catastrophe is a headland in the Australian state of South Australia located at the southeast tip of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula. It is one of the natural features named by the British navigator Matthew Flinders in memory of the e ...
on Eyre Peninsula to Cape Spencer on Yorke Peninsula. At the time of Flinders' exploration the gulf was noted to extend inland from a point near the Port Augusta crossing. This so-called extension of the gulf consists of a land depression and occasional watercourse known as the Pirie–Torrens corridor, and the inland waterbody
Lake Torrens Lake Torrens ( Kuyani: ''Ngarndamukia'') is a large ephemeral, normally endorheic salt lake in central South Australia. After sufficiently extreme rainfall events, the lake flows out through the Pirie-Torrens corridor to the Spencer Gulf. ...
. The northern end of the gulf is spanned by the
Joy Baluch AM Bridge The Joy Baluch AM Bridge is a bridge across Spencer Gulf between Port Augusta and Port Augusta West in South Australia. It carries Highway 1 and is a key road link on both east–west and north–south road routes in Australia. The western end ...
between
Port Augusta Port Augusta (''Goordnada'' in the revived indigenous Barngarla language) is a coastal city in South Australia about by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the ...
and Port Augusta West and further north by
Yorkey Crossing Yorkey Crossing or Yorkeys Crossing is a ford in the Australian state of South Australia located at the head of Spencer Gulf in the gazetted locality of Emeroo about north of Port Augusta. As of 2014, it is the site of an unsealed road that ...
. Informal names for subdivisions of the gulf waters are sometimes used. "Northern Spencer Gulf" refers to waters north of
Wallaroo Wallaroo is a common name for several species of moderately large macropods, intermediate in size between the kangaroos and the wallabies, that are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. The word "wallaroo" is from the Dharug ''walaru'' wi ...
and Arno Bay, while "Southern Spencer Gulf" refers to waters south of that line, extending to the mouth of the gulf. "Upper Spencer Gulf" includes the waters north of Port Pirie, and includes the three towns sometimes referred to as the Iron Triangle: Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie. Its boundary lacks precise definition.


Wildlife

The land surrounding the gulf, consisting of the Eyre and
Yorke Peninsula The Yorke Peninsula, known as Guuranda by the original inhabitants, the Narungga people, is a peninsula located northwest and west of Adelaide in South Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. The peninsula ...
s, is the Eyre Yorke Block
bioregion A bioregion is a geographical area, on land or at sea, defined not by administrative boundaries, but by distinct characteristics such as plant and animal species, ecological systems, soils and landforms, Human settlement, human settlements, and ...
. This was originally wooded shrubland but has now mainly been cleared for agriculture. The arid
Gawler bioregion Gawler is an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion located in South Australia. It has an area of . Gawler bioregion is part of the Tirari–Sturt stony desert ecoregion. Geography The landscape consis ...
extends to the Spencer Gulf on the north-west. Many of South Australia's iconic marine species can be found on the shores and in the waters of Spencer Gulf.


Marine species

The rocky inshore reef along the coast near
Port Bonython Port Bonython is the location of a deepwater port, gas fractionation plant and diesel storage facility west of Point Lowly in the Upper Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. It lies 16 km east-northeast of Whyalla, South Australia and app ...
and
Point Lowly Point Lowly is the tip of a small peninsula north north-east of Whyalla in the Upper Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. The wider peninsula is shared by a combination of defence, industrial, residential, recreational and tourism interests ...
is a breeding ground for the Northern Spencer Gulf population of Australian giant cuttlefish. They are a favorite food of local
bottlenose dolphins The bottlenose dolphin is a toothed whale in the genus ''Tursiops''. They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus contains three species: the common bot ...
, who have developed sophisticated techniques for safely eating these creatures. The Upper Spencer Gulf is also known for its snapper and
Yellowtail kingfish The yellowtail amberjack, yellowtail kingfish, hiramasa or great amberjack (''Seriola lalandi'') is a large fish found in the Southern Ocean. Although previously thought to be found in all oceans and seas, recent genetic analysis restricts ''S ...
fishing.
Great white shark The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large Lamniformes, mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major ocea ...
s are sometimes seen in Spencer Gulf by fishermen, and
shark cage Shark cage diving is underwater diving or snorkeling where the observer remains inside a protective cage designed to prevent sharks from making contact with the divers. Shark cage diving is used for scientific observation, underwater cinematograph ...
diving and surface tours operate out of
Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a city on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of South Australia. Known as Galinyala by the traditional owners, the Barngarla people, it is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, ...
. A relic population of tiger pipefish ('' Filicampus tigris''), a subtropical species is range limited to Northern Spencer Gulf.


Marine mammals

Visiting southern right whales and
humpback whales The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh u ...
enter Spencer Gulf from June through to October, and can be seen as far north as Point Lowly and Port Augusta. New Zealand fur seals and
Australian sea lion The Australian sea lion (''Neophoca cinerea''), also known as the Australian sea-lion or Australian sealion, is a species of sea lion that is the only endemic pinniped in Australia. It is currently Monotypic taxon, monotypic in the genus ''Neopho ...
s can be found in southern Spencer Gulf, with significant breeding colonies located at Dangerous Reef and in the Sir Joseph Banks Group. Occasional sightings occurring in Northern Spencer Gulf.
Bottlenose dolphin The bottlenose dolphin is a toothed whale in the genus ''Tursiops''. They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus contains three species: the common bot ...
s can be seen in the gulf's waters year-round.


Seabirds

Breeding colonies of
little penguins The little penguin (''Eudyptula minor'') is the smallest species of penguin. It originates from New Zealand. It is commonly known as the fairy penguin, little blue penguin, or blue penguin, owing to its slate-blue plumage and is also known by ...
exist on islands in Spencer Gulf. The northernmost colonies are located at Lipson Island and
Wardang Island Wardang Island, also known as Waralti (also spelled Waraldi or Wauraltee) is a low-lying 20 km2 island in the Spencer Gulf close to the western coast of the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. It acts as a natural breakwater, protecting the f ...
. In 2004, the Wardang Island colony's population was approximately 8,000 penguins. Cape Barren geese and several species of
cormorants Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) ado ...
also breed on islands in Spencer Gulf.


Islands

Spencer Gulf contains a number of inshore and offshore islands. These include (from north to south): * Curlew Island (south of
Port Augusta Port Augusta (''Goordnada'' in the revived indigenous Barngarla language) is a coastal city in South Australia about by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the ...
) * Weeroona Island (north of
Port Pirie Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, north of the state capital, Adelaide. Port Pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of the Mid North region of South Australia. The city has an ex ...
) * Shag Island (north of Port Broughton) * Entrance Island (near Cowell) * Bird Islands (near
Wallaroo Wallaroo is a common name for several species of moderately large macropods, intermediate in size between the kangaroos and the wallabies, that are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. The word "wallaroo" is from the Dharug ''walaru'' wi ...
) * Lipson Island (north of Tumby Bay) * Tumby Island (south of Tumby Bay) *
Wardang Island Wardang Island, also known as Waralti (also spelled Waraldi or Wauraltee) is a low-lying 20 km2 island in the Spencer Gulf close to the western coast of the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. It acts as a natural breakwater, protecting the f ...
& the Goose Island group (near Port Victoria) * The
Sir Joseph Banks Group The Sir Joseph Banks Group is an archipelago in the Australian state of South Australia located in Spencer Gulf about off the eastern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It consists of 21 islands of which eighteen are in the Sir Joseph Banks Group ...
(offshore from Tumby Bay) * Louth Island & Rabbit Island (in Louth Bay) *
Boston Island Boston Island (Barngarla language, Barngarla: ''Goorilyali'' ) is a privately owned island in Port Lincoln, South Australia, Boston Bay, Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It has been primarily used for grazing sheep and was also once the location ...
(in Boston Bay) * Grantham Island and Bicker Isles (in Proper Bay) * Donington Island, Carcase Rock,
Owen Island Owen Island in the Antarctic is a small (19 ha), circular, ice-free island lying between Round Point and Pottinger Point about 500 m off the north coast of King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands. It was charted and name ...
,
Taylor Island Taylor Island, also known as Taylor's Island, is the largest in a group of seven islands located between the Eyre Peninsula mainland and Thistle Island in the mouth of Spencer Gulf, South Australia. Taylor's Island has been used principally ...
, Grindal Island, Little Island, Lewis Island, Smith Island, Hopkins Island and Thistle Island (east of the
Jussieu Peninsula __NOTOC__ Jussieu Peninsula is a peninsula located at the south east end of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by Proper Bay and Spalding Cove within the natural harbour known as Port Lincoln to the north, Spencer Gulf to the ...
). * Middle Island,
South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
and Royston Island (in
Pondalowie Bay Pondalowie Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the west coast of the south-west tip of Yorke Peninsula in Spencer Gulf about west of Marion Bay, South Australia, Marion Bay. The coastline of Pondalowie Bay is bot ...
) *
Gambier Islands The Gambier Islands ( or ) are an archipelago in French Polynesia, located at the southeast terminus of the Tuamotu archipelago. They cover an area of , and are made up of the Mangareva Islands, a group of high islands remnants of a caldera alo ...
including Wedge Island (in the mouth of Spencer Gulf)


Port development proposals

Due to its proximity to many identified mineral deposits in South Australia's Far North, Eyre Peninsula and Braemar regions, there are multiple new port and harbour developments proposed for the region. These include new or expanded facilities at (from north to south): *
Port Bonython Port Bonython is the location of a deepwater port, gas fractionation plant and diesel storage facility west of Point Lowly in the Upper Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. It lies 16 km east-northeast of Whyalla, South Australia and app ...
- Port Bonython Bulk Commodities Export Facility - Spencer Gulf Port Link (proposed 2012) *Port Playford - Iron ore transshipment port proposed to be constructed on the site of the former
Playford A Power Station Playford A Power Station was the first power station built by the Electricity Trust of South Australia at Port Paterson, South Australia near Port Augusta. It was built in 1954 to generate electricity from coal mined from the Telford Cut at L ...
, south of Port Augusta *
Whyalla Whyalla is a city in South Australia. It was founded as Hummock's Hill, and was known by that name until 1916. It is the fourth most populous city in the Australian state of South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, and Gawler, and along ...
- Inner harbour expansion -
Arrium Arrium was an Australian mining and materials company, employing nearly 10,000 workers before going into voluntary administration in 2016 with debts of more than $2 billion. In 2017 it was acquired by British-owned Liberty House Group. H ...
(completed 2013) *
Port Pirie Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, north of the state capital, Adelaide. Port Pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of the Mid North region of South Australia. The city has an ex ...
- Possible expansion for trans-shipment of iron ore from the Braemar region (concept stage) *
Lucky Bay Lucky Bay is a bay located at on the south coast of Western Australia, in the Cape Le Grand National Park. Located southeast of Esperance, Western Australia, Esperance, the bay is a tourist spot known for its bright white sands and turquoise ...
- Lucky Bay Common User Export Facility (harbour expansion) - SeaSA (proposed 2013, construction commenced 2014) * Myponie Point - Possible port location for Braemar region mineral exports (concept stage) * Cape Hardy - Iron Road Limited (proposed 2013) * Lipson Cove - Port Spencer (formerly known as Sheep Hill) - Centrex Metals (proposed 2011) The port could be completed in 2023.


Seawater desalination plants

In 2022, the government of South Australia announced the Northern Water Supply Project, which as of 2023, is considering a business case for establishing a large seawater desalination plant in the upper Spencer Gulf. If constructed, water will be supplied for use to the Olympic Dam and Carapateena copper mines in the state's far north. It is also intended to supply water for a prospective hydrogen export industry. An environmental impact statement for the project is anticipated mid-2024. , one
reverse osmosis Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process that uses a partially permeable membrane, semi-permeable membrane to separate water molecules from other substances. RO applies pressure to overcome osmotic pressure that favors even distribu ...
and one thermal seawater
desalination plant Desalination is a process that removes mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination is the removal of salts and minerals from a substance. One example is soil desalination. This is important for agriculture. It is possible ...
draw water from Spencer Gulf. Several others are planned. All currently or will produce water primarily or exclusively for industrial use. They are:


Spencer Gulf in film & video

The Spencer Gulf region, its wildlife and its development are the subjects of a documentary film in production (as of 2020) entitled ''Cuttlefish Country''.


Protected areas


Reserves declared by the South Australian government


Aquatic Reserves

Spencer Gulf contains four aquatic reserves. Blanche Harbour-Douglas Bank Aquatic Reserve which is located in west side of Spencer Gulf, north of Whyalla, was declared in 1980 'for fisheries management, protection of its mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Goose Island Aquatic Reserve which is located at Goose Island on the east side of Spencer Gulf near Port Victoria was d eclared in 1971 to provide 'a conservation area where teaching institutions may conduct classes and scientific research on marine biology and ecology and to protect the habitat of the seal colony situated on White Rocks.' Whyalla - Cowleds Landing Aquatic Reserve which is located on the west side of Spencer Gulf, just south of Whyalla, was declared in 1980 to 'protect the mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.' Yatala Harbour Upper Spencer Gulf Aquatic Reserve which is located in Yatala Harbour on the east side of Spencer Gulf, north of Port Pirie, was declared in 1980 for 'the protection of its mangrove-seagrass communities and associated fish nursery areas.'


Marine Parks

Spencer Gulf contains five
marine parks Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine current power * Marine debris * Marine energy * Marine habitats * M ...
, each with its own outer boundary and internal zoning. Fishing is prohibited with Sanctuary Zones, and detailed maps and GPS coordinates for the parks are available from the Government of South Australia's Department of Environment, Water & Natural Resources. The marine parks within Spencer Gulf are (from north to south): *
Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park Upper may refer to: * Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot * Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both * ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found fo ...
*
Franklin Harbor Marine Park Franklin Harbor Marine Park is a marine park in Spencer Gulf in South Australia. It is adjacent and overlapping with Franklin Harbor Conservation Park. The park includes Franklin Harbor and is located on the western side of Spencer Gulf between ...
* Eastern Spencer Gulf Marine Park * Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park *
Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, ...


Terrestrial reserves

A number of terrestrial reserves either adjoin Spencer Gulf at
low water Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide ...
or are located on islands within the gulf. On the west coast of the gulf, from north to south, they are Munyaroo Conservation Park,
Franklin Harbor Conservation Park Franklin Harbor Conservation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located on the east coast of Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf ...
, Lipson Island Conservation Park, Tumby Island Conservation Park, Sir Joseph Banks Group Conservation Park,
Lincoln National Park Lincoln National Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located about west of the state capital of Adelaide city centre, Adelaide and about south of the municipal seat of Port Lincoln, South Australia, Port Linco ...
and
Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located on the south east tip of Jussieu Peninsula on Eyre Peninsula and on a number of nearby islands about south-south east of Port Lincoln. ...
. On the east coast of the gulf, from north to south, they are Winninowie Conservation Park, Bird Islands Conservation Park, Goose Island Conservation Park, Leven Beach Conservation Park and Innes National Park. At the mouth of the gulf, the Gambier Islands Conservation Park is located within the Gambier Islands group.


Non-statutory arrangements


Important Bird Areas

Three
Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
s (IBAs) have been nominated by
BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...
at locations in Spencer Gulf. The Spencer Gulf Important Bird Area lies along the north-eastern coast of the Gulf; it comprises a strip of coastal land consisting mainly of
intertidal The intertidal zone or foreshore is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range. This area can include several types of habitats with various sp ...
mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal ...
s,
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...
s and
salt marsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...
es. It was identified as an IBA by BirdLife International because of its importance for the conservation of
wader 245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...
s, or shorebirds. The other two IBAs within Spencer Gulf are located in the
Sir Joseph Banks Group The Sir Joseph Banks Group is an archipelago in the Australian state of South Australia located in Spencer Gulf about off the eastern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It consists of 21 islands of which eighteen are in the Sir Joseph Banks Group ...
and at Goose Island. Both sites contain breeding colonies of various island seabird species.


Gallery

Image:Port-Broughton-harbor-0693.jpg, The harbor of
Port Broughton Port Broughton is a small South Australian town located at the northern extent of the Yorke Peninsula on the east coast of Spencer Gulf. It is situated about 170 km north-west of Adelaide, and 56 km south of Port Pirie. At the , the to ...
on the Eastern shore of Spencer Gulf Image:Australia.A2010283.0435.250m.jpg, Spencer Gulf seen from one of NASA's Satellites Image:MoontaBayJetty.JPG, Moonta Bay Jetty on the Eastern shore of Spencer Gulf


References


External links

* {{List of Australian seas Gulfs of Australia Bodies of water of South Australia Coastline of South Australia Eyre Peninsula Aulacogens Cenozoic rifts and grabens IMCRA meso-scale bioregions