Aldinga Marine Reserve

I am frantically trying to catch up with blogs before we fly off to Europe next week.   And this one, where I visited the Aldinga Marine Reserve, was an old one.   Last October, to be precise.   Emma, Steve, Jackson and Isabel had only been here for one month, and we had been here for four months.   It was mid Spring.

According to Wikipedia Aldinga Marine Reserve was named as such in November 1971, to protect 'aquatic plants and animals associated with the large intertidal limestone reef and the spectacular precipitous underwater cliff known as the 'drop-off' and the surrounding sandy substrate for the purposes of education and recreation'.   Fishing or collecting of any marine organism is prohibited but people can walk on the reef, snorkel, swim, scuba dive and use boats.

The reef extends out to sea for about two kilometres and is located just off Snapper Point, Aldinga Beach.

It is a fascinating place to walk out on, when the tide is out, and especially when the tide is very low, because it is possible to walk right out to the very edge.   It is important to wear old sneakers or sandals as the rock face has some very sharp points, and is quite slippery in places.

The view from Snapper Point as the tide is going out.

The reef is lined with narrow channels and pools of water.    Unlike in the UK where the tide can come in rapidly, there is plenty of time here to get back into shore again when the tide turns.

At the end there are lots of very deep rock pools, with crystal clear water.   On the day we walked out there were two people snorkelling, brave people I thought as the sharks love this area, due to the high number of fish lurking there.

Jackson was determined to jump into the sea at the end, and brave soul that he was too, as the water was freezing.   Forget about the sharks at that point.   He did not stay in very long, I might add.

The bird life out on the reef is fantastic. 

Another beautiful part of the coastline here.