Be Bushfire Smart

Aboriginal Traditional Owners
Parks Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, the Bidawal and Nindi-Ngudjam Ngarigu Monero identify the Cape Howe Marine National Park as their Traditional Country.
Further information is available from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria AAV and Native Title Services Victoria .

The whole region is alive with a variety of fish, with an assortment of warm and cool water species. Purple Wrasse, Blue-Throated Wrasse and Herring Cale dart amongst the kelp. Large, disk-like sunfish are relatively frequent visitors, cruising slowly in the surface waters feeding on jellyfish. Hundreds of humpback whales pass in the vicinity of the park on their annual migration between the tropics and Antarctic waters, sometimes followed by pods of Orca's. Little Penguins are common too and forage from the large rookery at Gabo Island.

A variety of reefs including granite and sandstone reefs add to the total habitat complexity of the area. Low profile reefs within the park are covered in a dense forest of the brown seaweed Phyllospora that reaches over two metres in length. Beneath this thick, swirling canopy shelter many smaller seaweeds, Pyura ascidians, foliose red algae, coralline algae, brown algae (Zonaria), red sea-tulips, sponges, colourful sea-stars (eg. Pateriella calcar) and many large shells. Tiny brittle-stars, isopods and brightly coloured worms nestle around large sea-squirt congregations, which are quite dense in some areas.

Further off the coast, the seafloor tilts steeply down into deeper water. Sandstone reefs to a depth of about 50 m, are heavily covered by a diverse array of sponges, hydroids, ascidians and gorgonians (soft corals). There is not enough light at these depths for the large brown seaweeds, and the low sandstone reefs are instead covered with small patches of leafy red seaweeds and a range of animals attached to the rocks. Sea-whips are common here and arch gracefully up from the seafloor.

Geological, Hydrological and Landform Features

Habitat types represented in Cape Howe Marine National Park include sandy beaches, intertidal and subtidal rocky reefs, and subtidal soft sediments.

The rocky habitats of the area have complex forms and structure, including low profile reef eroded into pits and gutters, and heavy boulder reef with gutters rock ridges running parallel to the shore at around 5m depth. The reef is exposed to the prevailing easterly swell. Much of the coastline is formed from mobile sand dunes that are gradually shifting over the border into New South Wales. Bordering these dunes is a mixture of ancient pink granite and purple sandstone formed over 350 million years ago. These rocks outcrop near the border at Cape Howe.

• enjoy the marine environment without removing the plants and animals
• minimise your impact while diving and snorkelling by:
  • being careful to avoid damage to marine life caused by fins
  • developing good skills in buoyancy control
  • securing all gauges and pressure hoses to avoid snagging them on objects
• take any rubbish home with you - do not dump rubbish into the sea
• avoid stressing marine life by not chasing or grabbing free-swimming animals
• exercise great care if approached by large marine animals (including birds) & avoid blocking their paths if moving
• take care where you anchor your boat (anchor in sand, rubble or mud, avoiding sensitive areas, and use mooring buoys where provided)
• do not pollute the water with sewage - ensure that if your vessel has an onboard toilet that it has an approved sewage holding facility and that sewage is disposed of appropriately on land
• take the time to learn more about Victoria's marine animals and plants and the habitats they depend upon
  

SCUBA diving is a potentially high risk activity and should only be undertaken by appropraitely qualified people that have completed recognised training and certification. Victoria's cool water environments can be extremely challenging to those used to diving in warmer waters so ensure that local knowledge is sought before undertaking a dive in a new location. Dive charter operators can provide some of the best advice on diving in Victoria.

Marine National Park and Marine Sanctuaries Resource Kit – This education resources kit contains a comprehensive collection of many materials produced by Parks Victoria in relation to the Marine National Park system including lesson ideas for teachers and links to other resources.

• Alfred National Park
• Coopracambra National Park
• Croajingalong National Park
• Gabo Island