Located seven kilometres
east of Port Campbell, the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park is Victoria's
second largest Marine National Park and covers 7,500 hectares along approximately
17 kilometres of coastline. The park extends out from the renowned Twelve
Apostles and includes some of Victoria's most spectacular underwater scenery.
There are rich intertidal and subtidal invertebrate communities, dramatic
underwater arches, canyons, fissures, gutters and deep sloping reefs. Although
the Marine National Park itself is relatively inaccessible from the shore
because of the high cliffs and powerful sea conditions, the park includes
the Twelve Apostles rock formations, and is the third most visited natural
site in Australia.
The wild and powerful Southern Ocean that sculpts the area's limestone landscape
also shrouds a remarkable seascape beneath the waves; a submarine labyrinth
of towering canyons, caves, arches and walls. These natural features are festooned
with colourful seaweed and sponge 'gardens', resident schools of reef fish,
such as sweep, gliding above and the occasional visit by an Australian Fur
Seal.
Breeding
colonies of seabirds regularly inhabit the rock stacks and islands within
the park and the adjacent coastline has sites of significance for flora and
fauna. There are also sites of geological and geomorphological significance
including karst (ie cave) topography.
Location
the Park is adjacent to the Otway and Port Campbell National Parks, .
Further
Information
Parks Victoria Information Centre
Level 10/535 Bourke Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
Ph: 13 1963
info@parkweb.vic.gov.au